One Heartbeat Later
by sara05550
Summary: Artemis Lupin is best friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. While discovering dangerous plots at Hogwarts, she also uncovers pieces of her destiny. There is a prophecy looming over her head as she attempts to unearth her past, present and future. Follow Artemis throughout her (7) years at Hogwarts as she encounters different situations, including forbidden love.
1. Chapter 1

Artemis Lupin, 11 year old witch, had befriended Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley along with having obtained many admirers along the way. It seemed as if everywhere Artemis turned, she found a suitable peer to wink at warmly. It wasn't until her run in with Draco Malfoy, where words had finally been exchanged, in which she was met with the strange possibility that someone didn't like her. It overworked her brain to consider such an idea. Now, that sounds awful confident, but seeing that the young troublemaker followed in her mother and uncle's footsteps, it was undeniable that she had charm which she loved to flaunt. Not even the most intimidating of people could find a reason to dislike her, including the infamous Professor Snape, who seemed to have a hidden soft spot for the beaming Gryffindor.

The first time Artemis locked eyes with Malfoy was during the boarding process of her first year, as she chatted up a nervous Neville Longbottom on the platform. Her eyes flickered away from the visibility uncomfortable boy, whose appearance indicated his personality; he had messy brown hair and a soft belly poking through his clothes, when she heard a brief clip of conversation. "Draco, steer clear of the wrong crowd.-" Artemis' attention peaked at the low voice whose tone seemed dangerous, laced in poison. She glanced at the man as Neville stammered on about his summer.

The man was tall, with grand emerald robes that screamed of wealth, and long blonde hair that was neatly tied behind him. She felt his aura as he strode past, and his perfumed scent couldn't mask the superiority he displayed and felt entitled to. Somehow, Artemis did not think this man was giving his son a warning about teenage mischief.

"We've been over this, but as your father I have the obligation to educate you on... others. You will do best in only making ties with Slytherins, and pureblood Slytherins at that." The man finished and spun gracefully to face his son, who'd he'd been walking next to, and in turn, his son nodded up at him with seriousness. Artemis observed as the father placed his arm on the boy's shoulder, allowing it to linger, before speaking.

"Come now Draco, your mother and I did not raise you to be tardy." The man indicated to the Hogwarts Express. "I'll expect to hear from you soon." With that, the man disappeared in mid air without so much as a soft pop, an act Artemis identified as apparition, having learned both from her books and her father.

The boy, Draco, hesitated on the platform a moment longer. He seemed uncertain, Artemis analyzed. She could not explain her interest, knowing simply that it was difficult for any one person to hold her attention. Feeling rather guilty about blanking on Neville, whose name she'd already forgotten, she was about to turn to him and apologize when she met Draco's eyes.

The boy looked remarkably like his father, with pale skin and platinum blonde hair slicked back neatly. He was tall and handsome, but darkly so. Artemis held his gaze, and felt oddly unnerved seeing that the boy had seemed to figure out he had a eavesdropper. He narrowed his eyebrows upon meeting her gaze, lowered his gray eyes to her feet and back up at her, snorted in disgust, and not unlike his father, whipped around gracefully to the train door. Artemis felt her hot temper flare and was about to follow the boy into the train when she heard a voice next to her.

"A-artemis" Neville gulped, reminding her of his presence. He was red in the face with embarrassment from saying her name, as if it'd been the most daring thing he'd done. "Oh, I'm sorry Neville, -" she began, her quick mind reminding her of the boy's name. "-I was distracted." She didn't explain, just turned her hazel eyes towards the boy and flashed a smile. His blush deepened, and before he could reply, Artemis was off towards the nearby train entrance. "I'll catch you later buddy!" she called without turning back, not wanting to extend the interaction. She told herself she'd make it up to him later, not that she truly cared to do so. Neville looked after her, clearly mesmerized. Wow, he thought to himself, his heart still racing.

Artemis secretly wished to run into the blonde boy, questioning whether she imagined the dirty look she'd received. She was not used to boys looking at her like that. While Artemis didn't care for boys in particular, she certainly was used to receiving attention and she rather enjoyed it. Furthermore, she cared a great deal about being looked down upon. Gryffindor pride will do that to you. Before she was even sorted young Artemis had considered herself a Gryffindor.

She remembered the stories her father told her about Hogwarts, stories about mom and himself, their friends, the castle. Artemis' parents were both Gryffindors, her mother being the first in her family, along with her twin brother, to break the Slytherin tradition. The Black family had acted accordingly by disowning both Sirius and Chleo Black, the twins having been black sheep in a family that valued pureblood ideals over everything else. They were even burned out of the family tree, resulting in Artemis never meeting her mom's side of the family.

While Artemis scanned the cart she had entered, she did not spot the blonde boy. Instead, she surrendered her search and joined a nearby compartment full of other first years, sitting down uninvited before jumping into conversation. "I sure hope I'm placed in Ravenclaw. My mum will be devastated if I'm not." A lightly freckled brown haired boy mumbled in a low, insecure voice to the nearby students. It seemed that they all were uncertain of themselves, leaving Artemis to stand out as she responded bluntly, "So let her be devastated, mate. You'll be sorted where you belong; that's the only thing that matters." Her voice was confident and friendly, yet suggested impatience. The boy looked at her, wide eyed and frightened. After a few minutes of mindless nervous chatter from the students, Artemis quickly glanced at her watch and determined she'd walk the cart one more time before picking a final resting spot. "Well, this has been fun," Artemis began, not sounding as if she had the least bit of fun, "I'll be back my fellow classmates, or maybe I won't, who knows?" she announced, ending the rhetorical question with a grin. She had been planning her escape for the better half of the past five minutes. She heard faint fair well murmurs from the others as she stepped outside once again. They're not the worst bunch, she decided to herself, cracking a small smile once more. Despite being bored halfway to death, this particular group of kids weren't the worst.

After peeking about, Artemis realized that the other nearby compartments were full. She frowned to herself, knowing she'd need to take a seat soon before the train took off. At this point, she almost regretted leaving her previous crowd, yet she would not allow herself to return to them. Most first years had already taken seats, Artemis identified them by their discomfort and anxiety, both of which were present within her original compartment peers. Older students, on the other hand, were laughing and talking with their friends in separate compartments, looking a lot more confident.

It was then when the train conductor announced that all students must take their seats. The train whistled in warning before coming to life, starting with a sharp jolt. Artemis attempted to grab on to anything as to avoid a hard fall, and her hands grabbed the knob of the closest compartment door. As she fell, she slid the door open along with her, revealing two boys inside. One boy was heavily freckled with bright orange hair and tattered clothes while the other had dark messy locks, crooked circular glasses, and an odd shaped scar on his forehead. They both jumped in alarm as their door flung open, and their eyes widened at the girl on the floor who immediately looked up and grinned sheepishly at them. "Some entrance, no? My name's Artemis, mind if I join you?" the young witch asked enthusiastically, standing up and brushing herself off. She looked at the two boys, awaiting their answer. The dark haired boy spoke, seeing that his friend seemed at a loss for words. "Uh, no, feel free to sit down wherever." Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley did not mind their new addition at all.


	2. Chapter 2

The three first years quickly became inseparable and were often joined by Hermione, who had much to say on conversations she overheard and actions she observed. Initially, Artemis and Hermione quarreled, much like Hermione and Ron. Artemis grudgingly accepted Hermione's manner after a while, realizing that there needed to be a responsible soul among them, and welcomed her as a friend. The boys on the other hand often left Hermione out of their discussions, doing their best to ignore the bushy haired girl when she would interrupt or give unwelcomed advice. The hostility was due to Ron disliking her; he found her know-it-all attitude irritating and made no effort to conceal it. Harry did not have anything against his classmate; he spoke to her when she interacted with him, although he was definitely closer to Artemis and Ron. At this point, the four students saw a lot of each other whether they wanted to or not. With Artemis including Hermione in most of their activities, Ron found it harder and harder to avoid her. During classes, Gryffindor first years were most often paired with Slytherins, causing quite a few problems. Considering that hostility ran high between the two houses, there seemed to never be a peaceful lesson. The disastrous pairing was particularly grueling during potions with professor Snape.

Snape particularly enjoyed taking points from the young Gryffindors for so much as a wrong answer. The student he most loved to hate was Harry, which bothered Artemis to no end. Naturally, she let her tongue fly free, spilling witty insults in return; something no other student dared to do. Oddly enough, Snape often ignored her comments, surprising everyone, especially the Slytherins. It was unusual for Snape to favor any student, let alone an obnoxious gryffindor. Yet as unlikely as it seemed, the intimidating, dark featured professor had yet to punish Artemis for her smart mouth.

Potions class had only just started when Snape decided to add flavor to the lesson by bullying Harry. "Shame that the famous Harry Potter has about as little sense as a dung beetle."

he said menacingly in his slow, ominous voice, causing heavy laughter from the Slytherins in the back. Harry had been asked a question above his grade level, to which of course, he had not known the answer to.

Without thinking, Artemis retorted through the laughs, fed up with the verbal abuse, "Maybe if you'd take a look at the Slytherins, you'd find your comparison laughable, professor. But I suppose Slytherins need to stick together, no?" Anger was visibly present in her eyes, and she was sitting up in her seat, her leg restlessly vibrating under the table. The class quickly went silent at her remark, yet Artemis didn't back down, her hazel eyes following the Professor. This was one of the many times where the young Gryffindor had crossed the line, yet this time, she had done so in a way that personally attacked a professor. Snape halted his threatening stroll around the sides of the classroom, freezing in his tracks.

"You forget your place in my class, Lupin." He snarled, turning his head to face her. His dark eyes had transformed to display flames of hatred and raw feelings of anger were exploding off him, altering his whole face. He was surely a frightening sight, especially for any first year. Artemis narrowed her dark eyebrows in frustration, she knew she had crossed a line, yet she was far too deep to back down now. _I'll accept the consequences_ , she thought to herself, knowing very well that there would be plenty. She was far too proud to be intimidated and would not allow herself to look weak.

Snape responded to the challenging stare by walking to and leaning over Artemis' and Hermione's joint desk, inching closer to her face. In a lethal voice he said, "50 points will be taken from Gryffindor and you'll be expected to flawlessly execute two potions of my choosing during detention. Best believe there will be consequences if you fail. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to say, I'm listening." He waited for her response, a cruel smile curving on his lips. Artemis found that her heart was beating fast with adrenaline; she almost didn't notice Hermione tugging on the sleeve of her robe. Recognizing this as a warning to hold her tongue, she did just that, though she did it grudgingly. While saying nothing, her own lips curled up in disgust as she held Snape's gaze. During the staring contest, a strange emotion flickered in his eyes, confusing an angry Artemis. She blinked, thinking she must have imagined it, and when her eyes opened, Snape had straightened himself, whipped his cloak about him, and was heading towards the front of the classroom. Hermione glanced towards Artemis quickly and whispered under her breath. "Calm down Missy, it'll do no good to provoke him. It'll only make the situation worse and Gryffindor cannot afford to lose anymore points." Hermione was right and a defeated Artemis slumped on the desk with her head resting on her arms. She glanced over at Harry, who met her eyes and shook his head in frustration. Artemis saw that his jaw was clenched and knew her friend wanted to respond to Snape as well. She felt a twinge of guilt for being impulsive and turned away.

"Turn to page 346" Snape demanded the class, flicking his wand and producing images on a levitating screen. The class was silent outside of pages being flipped and seeing that Artemis was not about to open her textbook, Hermione opened both of theirs with a sigh.

Artemis did not pay attention during the lesson, instead focusing on a speck of dust ahead of her. Her annoyance was far too great, overpowering her interest in the subject. She was naturally gifted in school, an extraordinary witch who did not attempt to hide it, to Hermione's annoyance. "You need to practice Missy." "You need to study Missy." "Don't wait until the last second Missy, that's how mistakes happen." Naturally, she did nothing that Hermione suggested. Being careless would not work if she were anyone but herself. Yet being Artemis came with a great deal of benefits, whether or not she appreciated them.

At the end of the lesson, Artemis stayed behind and told Hermione and the boys she'd catch up with them later, and when they hesitated, Artemis rolled her eyes and said "I'm only going to ask about the detention date. I'm not causing more trouble, promise."

"You'd better not, bloody hell we'll end up being the last ones up for the house cup if we keep this up" Ron said, looking at Artemis wearily. She nudged him in return, "I could use some help in losing Gryffindor points Ron, try to make something else blow up in charms tomorrow." Ron blushed and muttered defensively over the pocket watch he'd accidentally exploded last week. "I suggest you practice the transfiguration spells before tomorrow's class if you seek to gain Gryffindor points," Hermione said sharply to Ron before turning on the spot and leaving. "Please control yourself Missy." Harry said to Artemis, ignoring Ron's furious expression. He understood both Artemis and her actions, and he himself did not take bullshit, yet Professor Snape was a special case. "I will, I will. I'll meet you all in a few, now go." She smiled at them and when they turned to leave, she took a deep breath and walked deeper into the classroom to face Snape.

Snape was at the front of the room, his back to Artemis. Just as she began suspecting he was unaware of her presence, he spoke. "If you waste any more of my time Lupin, you will be losing a lot more than 50 points." Snape did not even bother turning to her, instead continuing to pack away his items. "No! I mean, look, professor I'm just here to inquire about the detention date. No point loss is necessary." Artemis attempted to say all of this in a light tone, infusing her regular dose of charm, which did not affect the professor in the slightest, who finally turned to look at her.

"You are arrogant like your mother Lupin, I would alter that tone if I were you. It will not win you any favors, especially not in my presence. Your detention will be held this Saturday, now get out of my sight" Snape snarled. Artemis cringed at the mention of her mother, along with his tone. She realized he had caused her to look at the floor in defeat and so she quickly corrected her stance. Looking at Snape one more time, Artemis turned to leave without another word.

Seeing that potions was located in the dungeons, Artemis noticed many Slytherins in her proximity. Each of them stared her down, threw dirty looks her way, and commented openly about her. "I'm so popular, no?" She announced in annoyance, rolling her eyes as necks turned to observe her. The hostility between Gryffindor and Slytherin was no secret.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here boys." Artemis heard a sly voice behind her. At this point, she'd cleared past most of the Slytherins, to her relief, and had entered a narrow hallway on her way to the Gryffindor common room. Taking no chances, Artemis began feeling for her wand in response to the voice, and the fast acting witch spun to face the threat, wand extended. To her immediate frustration, she spotted Draco Malfoy and two of his friends. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were overweight, tall, and overall unattractive. To make matters worse, their intelligence matched this looks. They were bearing massive grins as they awaited Draco's next comment, clearly unable to think of anything witty on their own.

"Enjoyed the sting of Snape's venom, did you? Did you manage to charm your way out of detention?" Artemis glowered at him, and before she could speak, he went on, "I'll take that as a no. Kissing arse is rather shameful, even for you, blood traitor." Draco approached her, letting his wand fall from his sleeve into his hand. Crabbe and Goyle were laughing loudly behind him, looking at Artemis menacingly.

Artemis did not lower her wand, nor did her gaze leave Malfoys. She looked at him, noticed that he towered over her and she wondered about their interaction. _What reason does he have to hate me?_ She wondered about the dirty looks, the nasty words exchanged between him and her friends. She wondered why he didn't like her and secretly she wondered if she could change that. Perhaps this was due to pride or perhaps she grew excited at the challenge, Artemis did not know. Finally, she wondered if there was a person underneath the gray eyes.

"What's your problem?" She asked in a calm tone, her voice rather low. It was unusual for her to respond in such a way, especially since her impulsive actions usually spoke for her. Now, her face had softened, overwhelmed by sudden curiosity. She was truly pondering the potential of an individual who never gave her reason to believe he was anything more than what he was.

Draco stopped, surprised at the question. Uncertainty flashed in his eyes and he lowered his wand a few inches in confusion. He redeemed himself after a heartbeat. "You. Your friends. All these blood traitors and muggle borns. You are disgraceful. I imagine my father wouldn't mind me hexing you." He spat out, raising his wand threateningly once more.

Artemis laughed suddenly, a lovely laugh that sounded like wind chimes. She then lowered her wand. "Go on, give it a go." She put her wand in her cloak pocket and opened her arms welcomingly. "Powerful pureblood like you, hit me with your best shot." Artemis winked at him then waited innocently. Draco hesitated, looking worried for a fraction of a second. Then he lowered his wand, his face returning to host its cold expression. "Wouldn't want you crying, blood traitor. Get out of here, this isn't your area." Draco said, continuing to step forward slowly.

"You know, Mr. Malfoy, I have a feeling you've been planning what to say to me for a while. In fact, I have a feeling you just grew the balls, excuse my language, to say it. I do hope it's going according your plan, I'd hate to inconvenience you." Artemis smirked, putting her hands in her pockets. She imitated Malfoys increase and took a few steps towards him herself.

"Shut up you!" Crabbe shouted from behind Malfoy. He took out his crooked wand and threw a spell at Artemis. The red flare flew towards her, and she had just enough time to take her wand out and deflect it. Luckily for her, she had practiced both defensive and offensive spells on her own and was rather gifted with both.

Instinctively, Artemis raised her wand and started to mouth a spell, feeling furious and disrespected, stopping only to observe the chaotic scene in front of her. Draco had launched himself at Crabbes outstretched arm, failing to misdirect the spell launched at Artemis.

"Crab you idiot, she's not worth the trouble!" Draco hissed. Artemis resisted the urge to curse all three of them, knowing she could if she wanted to. Yet three jinxed students might arise attention, and she could not afford to get into anymore trouble. "If you ever send a curse my way again, it'll be the last time you perform magic" she growled at Crabbe, shaking with fury. Turning to Malfoy, she altered her voice so that it was ice cold, "Make sure you don't let anyone see your precious heart. Trying to prevent a filthy blood traitor from getting hit with a jinx is surely something your father wouldn't approve of."

"I didn't do it for-" Draco began angrily, only to be cut off by Artemis, "Keep your dogs on a leash." She snapped at him, looking at all three of them with daggers in her eyes, finally resting her eyes on Malfoy's before turning around and disappearing down the hall.

Draco watched her in frustration, feeling embarrassed and humiliated. He had seen her all too many times in school, running her hands through her long hair, popping a smile, making everyone in her proximity fall in love with her charm. He'd even heard Slytherin boys talk about her beauty and it all made him sick. Perhaps he was upset about the truth in her words. Perhaps he was upset that she saw through him rather easily. He turned away from the direction Artemis had gone, to face Crabbe and Goyle, who were chuckling among themselves.

"And what are you two laughing about?" Draco questioned in his icy voice, arrogance in his eyes once more. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other, started laughing again before telling Draco the reason behind it. "It'd have been pretty funny if Crabbe actually hit her with that spell, I'd pay to see her stiffen up and fall over." Goyle said through the laughs. Draco started walking towards the Slytherin common room, which was enough indication for his friends to follow.

"You need to be careful with those filthy Gryffindors," Draco started, "and it wasn't as if Crabbes spell would actually work." He sneered. "It sucks about Lupin, you know? Could you imagine if she was in Slytherin? You can hate her all you want Draco-" Goyle began rambling, "-but she's a sight."

Draco stopped walking and looked at him questioningly. "I thought you actually had standards Goyle, but I suppose not." He replied dryly before continuing on his way. Internally, Draco hated every inch of himself for agreeing with Goyle. Lupin was special.


	3. Chapter 3

Once inside the common room, Artemis found her friends sitting near the fireplace, surrounded by other Gryffindors. Harry and Ron were playing wizard's chess; Ron, having destroyed a great deal of Harry's pieces, was looking rather proud of himself. Meanwhile, Hermione was reading a book six inches thick while biting her bottom lip in concentration; Artemis predicted this was Hermione's idea of "light reading." She smiled and plopped down next to Hermione on the nearby couch. Artemis truly loved her friends. Hermione looked up at her arrival and rolled her eyes after a heartbeat, "Honestly Missy, your admirers are out of control" she joked, indicating towards Neville and Seamus whose eyes had been following Artemis.

"Admirers? Where? I'm pretty sure those boys over there," Artemis nodded in Neville and Seamus' direction, "scribble all over their parchments 'I love Hermione Granger'" Artemis replied with a smirk. "In fact, I'm sure they're looking at you now, Mione!" She added with a giggle. Hermione scowled at the nickname and attempted to give Artemis an angry look, but even she couldn't hide her amused smile when her eyes returned to the book. Ron looked up from his chess match with a bewildered expression, clearly unable to believe that Hermione could have admirers. Harry and Artemis both laughed at his expression. Artemis wanted nothing more than to spread out on the couch with her friends but she sighed as she lost her internal battle, "I'll go freshen up and come back down" she said quickly, jumping to her feet and heading to the girl's dormitory. She heard Harry call, "Hurry up, we want to know how it went with Snape!" before she was out of earshot.

Once upstairs, Artemis went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a striking girl looking back at her with straight hair that reached her stomach, dark eyebrows, large hazel eyes, and plump lips. She flashed a smile at herself, observing the way her face lit up, noting her own pearly teeth. Suddenly, she moved towards the mirror, thinking she had spotted a pimple. Luckily for her, her warm ivory skin was glowing and blemish free.

Being Artemis meant not feeling self conscious, it meant having confidence that had nothing to do with looks, yet it also meant not noticing the beautiful reflection in the mirror. She truly did not care for her features; it embarrassed her when people brought up her beauty. She never wore makeup and preferred to dress in muggle clothes; t shirts and jeans, when not in her robes. Her body was very curvy, with large thighs and hips and a small waist and chest. Her shape looked elegant on her and it made watching her walk away rather pleasant. She skipped bras on most days and wore small shirts due to being petite and having small breasts.

Artemis uncapped the face wash she bought in Diagon Alley, splashed water on her face, and began to smooth the cream onto her skin. She felt a cool sensation as the cream penetrated her pores and as she massaged her face, she couldn't help but think of her interaction with Malfoy. I shouldn't make a habit of this, Artemis thought to herself. Malfoy is a prick, he doesn't deserve a place in my thoughts. Yet a nagging thought was fighting for attention in Artemis' mind; was Malfoy thinking about her? After she finished washing her face, she proceeded to brush her teeth before she picked up the textbooks on her bed and grudgingly headed back downstairs to start her homework. The only positive aspect of doing homework, she figured, was that she would spend the majority of the time goofing off with her friends. She already knew she'd annoy Hermione to no end, a thought which made her grin. The friends would often accuse Artemis of being the reason why they never got work done; a statement which rang true without doubt.

As Draco lay in his bed that night, he mulled over the events of the day; he thought of the way Pansy blushed when he complimented her, thought of the letter he received from his mother, cringing internally at the memory, and finally he replayed his interaction with Artemis. He felt embarrassed and annoyed with himself as he remembered the way her eyes had searched his face. I can't let a blood traitor humiliate me like that again, he thought to himself darkly, turning on his side and closing his eyes.

The next day, Draco made his intentions clear; he was bluntly avoiding and ignoring Artemis Lupin, something which was only apparent to her. She noticed that he no longer threw her dirty looks or made snotty comments, and if they happened to be near each other, he would find a way to escape her proximity. Even after he insulted Hermione and Harry on their way to the great hall for breakfast, he didn't acknowledge Artemis. "He usually has something lovely to say to me, did you notice he didn't even look in my direction?" Artemis asked her friends in a low voice, watching a slender Draco stride down the hall ahead of them. Ron snorted, "It's Malfoy, he's pathetic, who knows what he's trying to prove? Why do you even care if he noticed you or not Missy? Isn't it better that he didn't?" He asked her with an eyebrow raised. The friends greeted a scampering Neville, whose shoelaces were untied, before Artemis responded. "Well it is better, but I do admit it was entertaining outwitting the snake. Maybe I'll start picking on him now, see how he likes it." It was Harry who spoke, cutting Artemis' plan down the middle; "Leave it alone Missy, we don't need anymore problems. Malfoy is bad news, he isn't above getting us in trouble, remember that." He warned her and held her gaze for a heartbeat longer than necessary, to make sure she had been listening. "Fine." She said gruffly. Artemis then noticed that Hermione had been silent, she peered at her friend's face and saw the hurt in her eyes from Malfoy's comments. "Forget him Hermione, you're the best witch in our year." She said softly, linking her arm through Hermione's. "I'm fine." Hermione responded without meeting her gaze; her tone was warning enough not to press the matter.

At breakfast Artemis discussed their upcoming flying lesson with Madam Hooch, excitement making her spill her pumpkin juice. "Shit, let me clean this up" She said, leaving Ron rambling about his favorite Quidditch teams. Waving her wand, she muttered "Tergeo" and lazily watched as the liquid returned to her goblet. "That's impressive Missy!" Hermione said, clearly more enthusiastic about the spell than she was about the topic of conversation. Artemis only shrugged before turning back to Ron. "My mom and my uncle were both on the team, they were beaters. As soon as I can try out, you can rest assured that I will!" She said happily through a mouthful of toast. "I'd like to be a keeper," Ron said, thinking it through deeply. "Oh good, because I'm definitely going for chaser. I've been practicing at home and I'm rather good, not to boast of course." Artemis grinned arrogantly, winking at a nearby Dean Thomas, who had been listening in. Harry and Hermione exchanged looks; both being just as lost as the other. After the feast, owls swooped overhead, dropping their daily mail. Artemis felt her heart skip a beat as she noticed a familiar black barn owl, deemed one in a million due to its color, fly towards her. The owl landed neatly on the table and lifted its leg to indicate he had mail. "See Artemis? Your dad does love you." Ron joked, noting her surprise. "Shut up Ron, make sure your mum didn't send you any howlers." She retorted, her eyes still on the beige envelope.

Artemis had a difficult family situation, one she did not speak about; her mother had been murdered the very day she was born, causing her father and herself to move frequently for protection. She was never told the real reason behind the murder of her mother, nor was she told why her father and herself were targets, and to whom. It was evident that Remus was depressed, having endured the greatest of losses throughout his life. The greatest tragedy by far being his wife's death. While constantly moving, Remus tried to conceal Artemis to the best of his ability, failing miserably nonetheless. He truly loved his daughter beyond anything in the world and Artemis loved him back. Still, being at home was difficult when Remus was having his bad days, and Artemis found herself mourning her mother alongside him. She had received one previous letter from her dad, and due to them having a fight the very day she was to leave for Hogwarts, she had not bothered responding. Feeling guilty and suddenly fearful, Artemis reached for the envelope, her hands shaking. I hope he's okay, please let him be okay, she begged the universe silently.

Artemis,

I'm writing to tell you that I miss you above all else. The ministry is locating us to a new house next month, please come home for the holidays so you can see it for yourself. I've been told of your detentions and your poor decisions, I do have people keeping an eye on you in Hogwarts. You are smarter than this; do not be impulsive and reckless, only you will suffer in the end. I hope I am not wasting my breath, though I fear you are too much like your mother for your own good. Have you befriended Harry Potter? If so, I'd love to have him over soon; there is a lot I must share with him in regards to his parents. I am worried about you Artemis, please stay safe. You are in my thoughts every moment of every day; I am sorry for our last conversation, I hope you can forgive me. I was recently in Saint Mungo's to treat wounds I obtained during the full moon and I've been on the lookout for jobs that would accept a wizard such as myself. How are you, my beautiful daughter? Please do tell me about your friends, your classes, your experiences. You truly are all that I have.

Love,

Dad.

Artemis blinked away the tears that were swimming in her eyes, refusing to let them drop. She stowed the letter carefully inside her pocket, planning a letter of her own inside her mind. I should have written to him sooner, I'm a terrible daughter. She felt her heart lurch at the idea of her dad at Saint Mungo's, bloodied up and inches from life; she could not deal with him getting hurt or hurting others during his cycle. If only we had the money to afford Wolfsbane potion, she thought to herself, her sadness transforming to anger. I cannot lose him, I need to find him that potion. Their money came entirely from her mom's savings; Chleo Lupin had invented many spells and counterspells in her day, resulting in a fair amount of wealth. Remus was firm in his decision to not use the money for anything outside of Artemis and her well being.

Artemis considered her mom's side of the family for a heartbeat; she knew the Black family was incredibly wealthy. She had been told she could not meet them under any circumstances; had been told that they were most dangerous and most cruel. What would happen if I paid them a visit? Artemis thought to herself, growing more interested in the idea by the second. At the sound of laughing, the Gryffindor snapped out of her thoughts and launched herself into the conversation once more. "Missy your owl is still here, does he want something?" Hermione questioned, noting the black owl resting peacefully on the table.

"Otto has a thing for me, he took a liking to me as soon as I saw him. Sometimes he flies by just to cuddle." Artemis said happily, stroking the black barn owl as he moved even closer to her. "Blimey, I never paid much attention but he's dark toned. Isn't that rare for a barn owl?" Ron chimed in. "Let's just say, he's one in a million." Artemis replied.

After breakfast, the first years headed outside of the castle to the lawn, where they spotted broomsticks placed in two neat rows on the floor. The Gryffindors and Slytherins stuck to separate rows as they awaited their instructor, glaring at each other with resentment once in position. "This should be funny; I bet most of these muggle borns have never even seen a broomstick up until now," announced a sneering Malfoy, making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone. He scanned the Gryffindors, his eyes resting coldly on Neville. "I'll be sure to send you flowers when you end up in the hospital wing, Longbottom," he said in a cruel manner, causing laughs from the Slytherins. Neville blushed, giving no response. "You talk big game for a boy whose hair is so perfectly gelled back. Can you actually fly without causing a stray hair to wiggle out of place or would that be the end of your world?" Artemis retorted, looking at him lazily. Pansy shot her a look of loathing, to which Artemis returned.

Before Malfoy could respond, Madam Hooch started making her way to the students, walking at a brisk pace. She greeted them, silencing all other chatter, before whipping about dramatically at the head of the rows to face them. Artemis noted her hawk-like yellow eyes and rather liked her sharp tone. Hooch instructed the students to step up to their broomsticks, outstretch their hands, and shout a demanding "Up!" Only Harry, Artemis, and Draco got their broomsticks up in one try. As the rest of the students eventually got their brooms to obey, Hooch told them they were to mount their brooms and kick up off the ground as a start.

Before she could even blow her whistle, Neville was rising in the air, shouting out in fear. "Help!" He exclaimed, his face growing paler as he put more distance between himself and the ground. "Get back down this instant Mr. Longbottom!" Hooch shouted, sticking out her wand as to steady the disobeying broomstick. Without warning, Neville's broom launched forward full speed, causing Neville to hold on for dear life. His shouts were those of pure terror, and without thinking, Artemis mounted her broom once more and kicked off. "Miss Lupin, if you do not get back down here this instant, you will be expelled!" Hooch shouted, grabbing hold of her personal broomstick in preparation.

Artemis paid the instructor no mind, instead soaring up towards a terrified Neville whose broom was jolting back and forth, threatening to knock him off. Artemis flew towards him, feeling the wind blowing her long hair behind her. She felt the body of the broomstick and felt how easily she could command it; she knew she could make any movement she wanted to and she felt so free. Flying inches away from Neville, Artemis told him to grab her arm, in which he tried to do to no avail. After a second attempt, he managed to grab on, and as he tried to steady his broomstick so as to get on hers, it bolted forwards from underneath him. Feeling the sudden weight of a dangling Neville, Artemis screamed and clutched his arm with both hands, attempting to lift him onto her broom.

Despite her efforts and all within heartbeats, Neville began slipping; Artemis was almost off her broom due to his weight, and before she could fully understand what occurred, he had released his grip on her arm. She only saw the fear in his eyes as he fell, and without noticing anything else, she pointed her broomstick at the ground and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do.

Artemis strained her broomstick as she propelled it downwards at maximum speed. She surpassed Neville as he fell, and a foot from the ground, she pulled up sharply, feeling her stomach lurch, knowing she had only one chance to break his fall. She flipped her body so that she faced the back of the broom, causing gasps and screams from the students below. Without being able to control the broom, she desperately hoped her plan would work.

There was a spare heartbeat before Neville collided with the broom; falling onto it stomach first. Artemis grabbed onto him once more, reacting with incredible speed, using all her strength to steady him so that his legs wrapped around the broom. At least he's safe, she thought, feeling relieved for a second before she felt the broomstick jitter under her. "Hang on Neville" she said quietly as she turned her body once more, attempting to ignore his whimpers. Starting the descent, Artemis felt Neville's arms circle her waist tightly, almost causing her to lose control. Upon landing, she pushed a pale faced, shocked Neville off of her with slight aggression, feeling annoyed by his rib-breaking hold. She did not notice Madam Hooch hovering in the air until she landed with an audible thud next to her.

Artemis heard nothing that the students were saying; she did not hear the shocked mutters and the impressed gossip spreading among them. Instead, she dreadfully turned to face Madam Hooch, who was seething with anger. "I will escort Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing, he is in quite a bit of shock. Ms. Lupin, you will escort yourself to Professor Dumbledore at once. He will be located at the Headmaster's Tower." She said briskly, attempting to control her anger. Artemis felt her hope drain from her face, replaced by outrage. "I just saved-" "Save it for Dumbledore, Lupin. I did warn you. Go at once, I will inform him of your arrival. Take this as a lesson; follow rules in the future." Madam Hooch interrupted without a trace of sympathy before proceeding over to Neville, who was still on the floor wide eyed and shaking. "If I see another broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch." She threatened. Waving her wand, Hooch summoned a letter from thin air before sending it soaring across the grounds. She then helped Neville get up, and making eye contact with Artemis, she pointed at the castle firmly.

Artemis made eye contact with Harry, who was mortified at the situation. I probably won't even get to say goodbye, she thought bitterly before turning around and marching towards the castle. She gripped her wand as she walked, resisting the urge to destroy the nearby trees. With each step she took, the grass beneath her feet was left burnt to a crisp; she was a dangerous witch at best.

Upon making her way through the castle to the Headmaster's tower; which took quite a bit of time, Artemis was now fearful. What will I tell Dad? He'll never forgive me. What school will I go to? Will any school accept me knowing I was expelled from my previous one? Her fears preoccupied her mind until she reached a set of steps that curled upwards in a majestic manner. I suppose this is it, Artemis thought with bitter defeat. She climbed the steps grudgingly, noting a gothic gargoyle figure at the top of them.

At the top, she was about to enter the headmaster's office when she stopped short in amazement; for a brief heartbeat, the beauty of his office overwhelmed her. It was large and filled with curious artifacts, unusual books, and grand windows. Temporarily forgetting her predicament, Artemis rushed inside the office, eager to take it all in, and peered at a beautifully colored book resting on Dumbledore's desk. She ran her fingers on the cover of it, and to her surprise, they went right through it. She felt a strange, cooling sensation race through her body and quickly removed her fingers from the book.

"Interesting book, don't you think Ms. Lupin?" An amused voice spoke gently from behind her. Artemis whipped about suddenly, startled. "I'm sorry sir, I didn't see you around." She muttered quickly, avoiding his eyes. "Curiosity is not a sin, my dear." Professor Dumbledore responded sweetly. Artemis dared to raise her eyes to meet his; hardly believing his tone. "I suppose you are surprised as to why I am delighting you with light hearted chatter when you are wondering about a more pressing manner," He began, walking towards his desk. She noted his beautiful robes and his glistening white hair. "Honestly sir, I would much rather the light hearted chatter," Artemis responded truthfully, not realizing he had not invited her to reply. Catching her mistake, she blushed. Shut up Artemis, this is the headmaster. You are supposed to be fighting to change his mind, not further proving you deserve to be expelled. Dumbledore smiled at her and waved his hand gracefully, presenting her with a cushioned chair to sit in. "Please do sit." She did as she was told, sitting in the chair placed across the table from his own.

As Dumbledore took his seat, Artemis watched him with admiration. She had read many books on his accomplishments and she had always hoped to be in a situation where she would be able to speak to him alone. Ironically, she was in that very situation, the only difference being the reason she was there to begin with. "Madam Hooch informed me that you disobeyed her during your first flying lesson," He said in a calm voice, looking at Artemis with serious eyes. Artemis did not shrink back this time; she held his gaze and felt herself grow ashamed. "Apparently, had you not disobeyed her, Mr. Longbottom may have suffered tremendous injuries. For that, I commend you. You are truly a Gryffindor at heart." Artemis could not contain her shock. She narrowed her eyebrows in confusion, staring at the smiling wizard. "Does this mean I'm not expelled?" She gasped suddenly. "You are not expelled, no." Dumbledore laughed. "I truly am proud of you, as your mother in particular, would be." There was a twinkle in his eye as he said this.

"I heard she was a handful," Artemis laughed, giddy with relief. She felt her respect for the headmaster grow beyond words. "Thank you, Professor. I really appreciate your reaction. I only did it to save Neville anyway; I don't see a problem with my actions." She said boldly, becoming all too comfortable in the presence of the greatest sorcerer on Earth. "Indeed. Yet I must insist that there are times rules must be obeyed Ms. Lupin and I insist that you learn when to obey them and when to act outside of their perimeter. The inability to be confined by barriers is just as much a mark of power as it is an indication of danger, Ms. Lupin."

Artemis nodded in agreement; she could benefit from learning discipline. Yet his last words caught her by surprise and seconds after she heard them, she realized why. She sensed the conversation had changed in tone and topic. "An indication of danger, professor?" She asked, confused. A heartbeat later, she looked at the headmaster with outrage, understanding the message behind his words "Are you saying that I am dangerous?"

"Please do not misunderstand what I am about to say to you, Artemis. You are indeed dangerous, possessing as much danger as anyone who is destined for greatness." Before Artemis could interrupt, Dumbledore spoke again. "Your current circumstances will not allow you to contemplate your future, but you will understand the danger you possess soon enough. You have a destiny to you Ms. Lupin."

Artemis snorted rudely, unable to believe him. "A destiny to me? I'm just an impulsive girl who barely gets her homework done, professor. You can't be serious." She was staring at him doubtfully and she proceeded to lean back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest lazily. How did the conversation turn to this? She wondered.

Dumbledore smiled suddenly, unphased by her skepticism. "Do you want to know what you do not yet know about yourself?" He asked her, his tone differing from any other Artemis had heard him use in the past. His voice was hushed and serious; distracting Artemis completely. During the conversation, he had been observing her every move through his half moon spectacles, gauging how she reacted. Artemis looked at him with uncertainty. For the first time in her life, her vulnerability was displayed on her face. He's serious, she realized.

"Yes." She finally whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

Dumbledore hesitated for a heartbeat, long enough for Artemis to grow impatient. She held her tongue, feeling joint anxiety and interest bubbling in her stomach at the idea that she, a simple student, had a seemingly important destiny. _Any kid wants to save the world, be a superhero, be someone famous and brilliant, but what exactly does my destiny entail?_ She wondered. She allowed various images to flash in her mind, smiling at one in particular; she had often watched muggle movies as a child and she pictured herself in a ridiculous yet familiar superhero outfit, surrounded by fans. _What a life that would be_. A negative idea struck her just then, causing her stomach to drop and wiping the smile clean off her face. What if she were destined to be evil? Before she could over-think, the headmaster spoke. "My dear, there was a prophecy created about you. A prophecy in which, I assume, describes the circumstances of your future. Nobody has heard the prophecy Artemis, not myself, not your father, not anyone. I cannot tell you what your future holds for certain, though I may guess, but I can be sure of one thing. That thing, Ms. Lupin, is that you are a powerful witch. Your powers are evident to those who are in your presence. It is completely unheard of for a first year to be able to cast such difficult and advanced spells without the slightest difficulty, as you do with absolute casualty. Yes Artemis, I have been observing you. In fact, all the professors have been observing you. Your abilities are more than signs of intelligence. You are more than talented. You are powerful." Artemis was staring at the headmaster at a loss for words, her thoughts racing at the speed of light.

Spotting that she had no immediate intention to respond, Dumbledore used the window of opportunity to ask her a question. "Have you ever influenced your surroundings without the use of spells or a wand?" He asked her quietly. Artemis replied immediately without thinking, glad to focus on a single idea.

"Well yeah, but who hasn't? We're wizards after all. Doesn't that sort of thing start happening in early childhood? I don't understand why that's relevant to this conversation," She replied in a rush, her voice trailing off at the end. "Young witches and wizards produce accidental magic often, yes, and this is especially prominent when they are governed by powerful emotions. Fear and anger promote the strongest magical reactions Artemis, as I am sure you know from experience. Although when I ask you, I do not mean simple occurrences, everyday wisps of magic. Your father used to update me frequently on your incredible accomplishments; it seemed as though you mastered something new weekly." Dumbledore smiled at her sweetly. "Please reconsider the question."

Artemis was confused and felt rather outraged at the thought of her father gossiping about her to a wizard she had not met until this year. She had many questions she was itching to ask, but even she could tell that it was best to answer Dumbledore first. She closed her eyes to fully recount her life, inhaling slowly as she did so. She thought deeply of her childhood, remembering times she had performed both accidental and purposeful magic. Magic that she, at the time, did not understand the significance behind.

"It was common for me to perform magic," She began, keeping her eyes closed. "I did not think it was unusual. My father was thrilled in the beginning, when I was around five or six years old. I used to wave my arms and create miniature rainclouds in the sky. It wasn't until I got older that Dad started disapproving. I would concentrate really hard on something that I wanted to happen; if I wanted a tree to sprout from the earth, I made it happen. If I wanted someone to behave a certain way towards me in school, I found that I had influence over them. I used to tell my Dad these things and he would get real worried, and real angry. The only thing that _I_ considered unusual though, is when…" Artemis trailed off and opened her eyes abruptly. She did not meet the headmaster's gaze this time, but merely looked straight past him. "Yes Ms. Lupin?" Dumbledore pressed.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "When I travelled back in time. At least, I think that's what I did. I was in my room crying; Dad had been told about an incident at school and he raised his voice. Spoiled little Artemis was used to getting her way, of course. I did whatever I wanted without answering to anyone. I did not handle being yelled at very well. Anyways, I was in my room and within a heartbeat I noticed the light had disappeared as if I had blinked it all away. In utter darkness, I tried to stand up. I realized I couldn't catch my breath and I started to panick. I thought I would die trying to gulp air; you have no idea how frightening it was. I couldn't even scream. As soon as I started writing farewells in my mind, my body, still in a sitting position, was in a completely different setting. The scene had changed without transition; I went from sitting on the floor to feeling cold, wet grass under me." She glanced at Dumbledore and noticed his expression translated to worry. The headmaster clearly was not aware of this. _He's going to think I'm crazy_ , Artemis thought as her heart beat faster in her chest.

"When I felt the wind and the cold, I knew I was nowhere near home. I managed to stand up despite the shaking and I ran through the grass with tears streaming down my face. I do not know how far I ran, where I was, or where I was going, but I did end up somewhere. I found a small town not far from where I emerged. I was muddy and shivering at this point, and I wanted nothing more than to reverse whatever magic I had performed. There weren't many people in the town; it was as bleak as the weather, and I desperately needed shelter. I wasn't sure if the people around me were muggles or wizarding folk and I feared the consequences of asking them inappropriate questions so I kept my eyes down as I walked. Also, there was something different about the way people dressed, definitely not the kind of clothes one sees today. Even the small snippets of conversation that I heard sounded odd to me; people spoke differently. That's when I first assumed I was no longer in my present tense. I entered a bar and was met with hostile looks, to my terror. Imagine seven year old me stuck in such a predicament, it was absolutely horrible. I managed to hide out in a far off corner for a few hours, maybe two, until the bartender kicked me out. I was back to roaming the brittle town, hoping to find anything, hoping to wake up, hoping to travel back to the present. I didn't know if any of it was real, no matter how much I felt the cold burn my skin" Artemis was lost in the story now; one could almost watch the events unfold in her eyes.

"As I was walking, I heard a faint scream coming from a nearby house and despite my circumstances, my blood ran cold and I halted in my tracks. It wasn't a regular scream; one that would indicate surprise, for instance. It was a scream of absolute pain. I bolted to the window of the closest house, guessing the scream came from it. The house was a pale, eroding building with dirty windows and peeling paint. I peered inside the windows to spectate a tremendous scene; a wizard was propelling a young boy, I would guess it was his son, into the air, letting the boy hang upside down from his ankles. The boy was a few years older than myself, perhaps around ten, and was crying, whimpering, and twisting his face in agony. I noticed there were bruises on him, the kind that came from physical abuse. I could only imagine the psychological pain he endured in that house. 'Scream one more time, I dare you,' was all that I heard before I ran to the front door and knocked. I had no idea what I planned to do; I had no idea what I could even do. It immediately got silent in the house for a full minute before I heard heavy footsteps approach the door. I remember thinking that I needed to stop the abuse, no matter what. I was always very impulsive, and I could lie and say that I don't know why I cared so much for a stranger, but I know why. I needed to save him. Seven years old and I knew that I was being drawn to this house and I knew that I had to do my part to save that boy." Dumbledore's face had maintained a constant expression of worry throughout the story, but he did not attempt to hide how impressed he was at these words.

"My heart was racing when the door opened, so much so that I could barely speak. It is unlike me to be so fearful, so intimidated, so utterly pathetic as I was. I looked up into the face of the abuser, met the eyes that showed me nothing but cruelty and waited for him to speak. 'Who are you and what do you want?' he snapped at me, raising his tone as he took a few steps forward. I noticed him look around to make sure I was alone, which seemed to build his confidence as he hovered over me. For a heartbeat I could not force the words to come out of my mouth, but before I knew what I was saying, I said it. 'Stop attacking him.' I really was planning on something smoother, I just couldn't bring myself to put on an act. The man's face contorted in fury before he took his wand out from his pocket. I felt the danger of the situation immediately, I felt that this man might actually kill me. Yet I stood grounded to that spot, as if for the life of me, I could not move an inch. I felt the adrenaline pumping through my body and I knew I was ready for whatever was to come. I held his gaze as he raised his wand, feeling my heartbeat increasing with each passing second. I knew I was utterly defenseless against a grown wizard; I did not even have a wand of my own, let alone the magic capabilities to defend myself. I saw the man begin to mouth a spell, but before he could cast it, there was utter chaos."

"I heard the boy shouting 'Stop! Please!' before crashing into his father with his shoulder. The father's legs buckled and he tumbled over gracelessly, caught completely by surprise, his face flashing a shocked expression before he fell. His wand dropping to the floor as he himself dropped along with it. I knew if I did not act now, I would not get another chance to do so. I threw myself at the wand just as the father did the same. I wrapped my hands around it without thinking, knowing I could not perform magic. I was not even enrolled in Hogwarts and yet here I was in another time period, naively wrestling an abusive wizard for his wand. I did not have seconds to spare to look at the boy, to observe much more of the scene. The abusive wizard ripped the wand out of my hands and kicked me in the ribs with all of his strength, rendering me helpless. I felt the pain as it rippled throughout my body and I gasped for breath, immediately dropping to the floor. 'You did this Severus, you made me do this to the muggle girl. Funny enough she knew how to go for the wand, she's a lot brighter than your filthy mother. You will pay for this. _Crucio_!'" Artemis stopped and cringed, her eyes filling up with tears. She did not speak for a minute as she gathered herself.

"Even at that age, I knew what that spell did to people. I was still seeing through watery eyes; the pain at my ribs had reduced in the slightest. Before I even knew what was happening, I shouted at the highest volume I could manage, summoning all of my strength. The air was filled with my screams and I felt myself grow empowered by my own sound. _You will not hurt the boy. You will not hurt me. You will not hurt the boy. You will not hurt me._ I kept thinking that over and over in my head, enough times to create the change that I needed. I was not going to surrender on anyone's floor, especially not in the fetal position. I lifted myself up to a sitting position, not caring where anyone else was or what they were doing. Closing my eyes, I began feeling energy circulating throughout my body and I concentrated on expelling it. I felt the power of that energy, it was a ball of electricity buzzing inside my blood, so powerful that I knew I could use it in any way I wished. With an internal push, I felt the adrenaline leave every cell of my body, I felt all of my energy leave me within a heartbeat, and I had barely enough of it to hold my eyes open. A circle of yellow light formed around me, circling me, leaving me in the very center. I felt it leave my body, it caused me to jolt involuntarily. The yellow circle was three feet tall and buzzing as if animated. It kept growing in diameter, so quickly that by the time the abusive father turned away from the son he was torturing, the yellow circle had already reached him. Upon making contact with the wizard, the circle blasted him, much like a forcefield would, ten feet away. The force of the blast knocked him off of his feet and straight into a wall, rendering him unconscious. I heard his body fall to the floor and I felt a sense of relief despite the brutality. I could barely keep my eyes open for the duration of incident, but I felt it in my heart that I had done my job."

"The boy came over to me, shaking visibly and crying hysterically. He kept stammering on about being sorry and I reached out and took his hand. 'Go to St. Mungo's. Go now. Go to St. Mungo's.' I kept repeating, trying to calm him down. He needed to get out of there while he had the chance and I wanted him to go right at that moment. 'My mom needs to come' he said through sobs. I told him to get her, to which he gradually did. I noticed he could hardly walk on account of the torture and I felt my heart break into pieces. The mother was bruised even worse than her son, I noticed when she stepped out timidly. After her son assured her that her husband was not going to hurt her, she finally took the chance to speedily grab her jacket. She took her shaking son by the hand and without uttering a word, she rushed to the front of the door. She glanced at me, but I saw she had no intention of staying in the house. I understood her. 'Go to St. Mungo's. Do you know how to get there?' I asked breathlessly. The boy stopped and fell to his knees by me, lifting me up into a sitting position once more. 'Come with me. You cannot stay here. You need to leave with us.' I did not hear much else of what he was saying because I fainted. I don't know what happened to him, professor. I don't know what happened to me. When I opened my eyes, I was back in my room. I felt a sharp pain in my ribs and I remembered that it really had happened. I never told a single soul about it. I honestly do not want to repeat the story to anyone else, especially since…." Artemis trailed off, tears falling down her cheeks freely now.

"Especially since what, my dear?" Dumbledore asked, leaning closer to her from behind his table. "Especially since I do not know what happened to the boy. I got to leave the situation, I'm sure it wasn't like that for him!" Artemis shouted through sobs, feeling guilty all over again.

Dumbledore replied immediately, feeling a strange mix of emotions himself. "Artemis, you saved that boy. That was your role in his life. You accomplished your task and you were sent back home. I could not be any prouder, and you should view yourself in a wonderful light for being a life saver; you are truly a Gryffindor."

After Artemis caught her breath once more, she peered up at the headmaster with red eyes. "What happened to me professor? Why did I experience that?" Her hazel eyes were begging for answers, looking large as a doe's. "I am afraid I do not have the answers you are seeking. I will want to speak to you about this again when I consider the possibilities of what you have told me. Also, did you say the boy's name was Severus?" Dumbledore asked suddenly in a rather urgent voice. "Yes I did, but why-" "-No matter my dear. I am afraid I have more pressing matters to discuss with you apart from time travel. Whilst I can only guess at the reason behind your experience, I do have something urgent to tell you. We shall revisit this topic, do not fret." He added, noting her bewilderment.

"Considering the topic of the prophecy; I am here to tell you that you will hear it in due time, but know that only you will be able to retrieve it. Prophecies are only created for individuals who will greatly impact the wizarding world. It is not enough to simply be great. One must have a destiny that will impact others, and usually this entails that the witch or wizard is exceedingly powerful."

"As you could imagine, Voldemort had a prophecy created at the time of his birth. What is interesting about your case in particular, is that your prophecy was created before you were born. When beautiful Chleo found out she was pregnant, she knew nothing of the prophecy." Professor Dumbledore paused, considering his next sentence. "I will ask that you update me frequently on your experiences here at Hogwarts. If you happen to encounter a difficult or strange situation, I expect you to come to me at once; I will help you and I will do my best to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of others."

Artemis sighed in defeat, feeling as if she was not getting anything she wanted from the conversation. "I wouldn't put anyone in danger," She said quietly, surrendering to the topic at hand. Dumbledore smiled. "I know you would never intentionally hurt anyone."

Artemis said nothing for a while, feeling embarrassed, angry, saddened, and worried all at once. "Does Dad know about the prophecy?" She asked. "Your father knows there is a prophecy created about you, yes. Additionally, I must tell you one last thing; I believe that your destiny is intertwined with another's. The wizard whose destiny crosses yours has a prophecy of his own. It is unusual for two prophecies to be made targeting the same situation but I believe your prophecy and his are just that. I am afraid I cannot say anymore to you until you discuss all of this with your father. It is not my place to intervene in family situations but I do believe it is time for you and him to discuss the truth behind your mother's death."

"What are you talking about? What does my mum's murder have ANYTHING to do with this?" Artemis finally snapped, having had enough with the whole interaction. She got to her feet in outrage and considered walking out of the headmaster's office. "All of this is giving me a damn headache. Why the hell can I travel in time? Who is this wizard whose destiny is intertwined with mine? How do you know all of this? What do you mean 'the truth' behind my mother's death? She was murdered, that's it!" Artemis was shouting, her eyes beginning to water for a third time. "I didn't ask to be told any of this and honestly I'd rather not even know." She turned her back to Dumbledore and bit down on her teeth, not allowing herself to cry.

"I am sorry for upsetting you, that was not my intention. I will let you go about your day now seeing that I have pushed you to your limits. May I be so bold as to say that I do not believe that you would rather not know, I think you out of all people prefer to be in the know Ms. Lupin. You may return to me with any questions you may have, at any time. I can see that you no longer wish to be in my presence, which is perfectly understandable. Please talk to your father; he will inform you much better than I can hope to. Oh and Artemis, forgive me for overstepping my boundaries. Thank you for sharing all that you have with me."

"I'll talk to Dad," Artemis said bitterly, still not turning to face the headmaster. "And after I do, I expect you to tell me everything you know." She turned to look at him finally, her eyes narrowed with anger, and without another word, she walked out of his office. It was true that she truly was done with the whole conversation; she could not stand to be in that office for another heartbeat.

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you so much for reading this story, I appreciate the support and I love you all. Please review with any suggestions, predictions, or comments you may have. Feel free to send me a message anytime! P.S. The story will pick up from here.


	5. Chapter 5

Artemis headed straight for the girl's bathroom, insistent on washing her tear-stained face before reuniting with her friends, whom at this time would surely be back in the common room. She supposed she had good news for them, seeing as she had expected to be expelled. Yet, her head was buzzing with dangerous ideas, snippets of conversation, feelings of worry, anger, and pain. She did not want to deal with her emotions any longer so she gritted her teeth and looked at herself in the mirror, her face dripping wet with water. She saw a girl with the potential to leave a person's hairs standing on end. Her beauty was breathtaking, but her eyes could easily transform her face from beautiful to cold. _I can be frightening. I can be beautiful. I can be sweet. I can be anything I want to be._ She winked at herself in the mirror suddenly before cracking a small smile. _Get it together Lupin, get rid of all that negative energy._

Artemis wiped the water off her face using the sleeve of her robe and tied her hair up into a messy bun before leaving the bathroom, attempting to ignore the pressure she felt crushing her chest. _I'm going to focus on everything else but me_ for once, she thought to herself. _My friends don't need to deal with anymore crap. I'm fucking Artemis Lupin, I don't dwell._

She met up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Gryffindor common room, having entered it rather apprehensively as she dreaded Hermione's reaction. To her immediate surprise, she felt herself bombarded by a body and felt arms wrapping around her neck.

"Nice to know I'll be missed if my arse gets kicked out of school, but it's all good Hermione, I swear." Artemis managed to say despite the bone crushing hug. "You had me worried!" Hermione exclaimed, anger transforming her features as she pulled back. Artemis smiled widely at her, realizing the extent of her friend's affection. "Honestly I had myself worried. I thought I finally did it this time." She admitted sheepishly, looking at her shoes before blinking false innocence at her friends, a devilish grin playing on the side of her mouth. "Oh come off it Artemis, nobody thought you would actually get expelled." Ron snorted, his own smile betraying him. "You're right Ron; _when_ I get expelled, it needs to be for something crazy. Something that says 'BANG!'" Artemis yelled for dramatic effect before moving away from them to plop down on her favorite part of the couch. "Is Neville not back from the hospital wing yet?" She asked lazily, hoping to avoid the questions she knew were coming. _I'm being pretty damn informal, even for me._

"We haven't seen him… not that it matters, you saved him of course. I can't believe that happened, that was bloody brilliant Mis. How'd you learn to handle a broom like that? And you were sent to Dumbledore's! What happened?" Ron began, his words spilling eagerly, blue eyes wide with excitement. He'd been waiting anxiously for her return so he could bombard her with questions, the exact opposite of what Artemis was wishing for.

"I don't even want to talk about it, mate." She responded dryly, scanning her naked nails for nothing in particular as to avoid making eye contact. Artemis knew she was pushing it, knew she owed them an explanation, yet she truthfully would rather postpone the conversation. Ron didn't attempt to hide his disappointment when he saw that she was serious. Harry, who had not yet spoken, cleared his throat. "Are you alright?" He asked her tentatively, leaning forward to truly observe his friend. Artemis glanced at him, scowled, and spoke. "Look, Dumbledore just wanted to tell me to be careful. He said I did the right thing but there's value in rules. I'm okay, it's all good, don't worry, don't fret. I didn't even get into trouble or lose any points." She held each of her friend's eyes intensely to communicate that the topic was not up for discussion. _I'll tell them the truth soon, I just can't bear to do it right now. I've been through enough today._ The only one of the three who didn't accept her answer was Harry. Artemis could tell just by looking at him that he didn't believe her. He knew her too well. _Crap._

Regardless, Harry let the topic go for the time being. Hermione looked rather unsettled herself but she figured she'd talk to Artemis on her own later, outside of the boy's earshot. "Well that's damn lucky. That's something that would only happen to you." Ron said, easily buying the lie and recuperating. He gave her a menacing look, to which she responded with a snort. Harry then took the spotlight, speaking openly to all three of them. Hermione awkwardly included herself by sitting next to Artemis, still not fully comfortable around the boys. "Well I have some news myself, actually. Ron and Hermione already know, but after you left, Malfoy started making trouble. He launched Neville's remembrall and I wasn't going to just stand there and watch. Luckily for me, McGonagall saw the whole thing unfold from her office window. Meaning, she saw me fly across the castle to catch the ball in midair." Harry paused to gauge the shocked expression on his friend's face. Hermione watched Harry carefully as he spoke, looking rather self conscious now that she was being included.

"What the bloody hell do you mean lucky for you?" Artemis gasped, sitting up in her seat. "And why wasn't this the first thing that was said when I walked in? Are you joking?" She looked rather angry at this point. "I was hoping you'd ask!" Harry winked at her before continuing, knowing to expect such a reaction. "McGonagall came downstairs immediately and pulled me aside. She didn't speak a word, she just told me to follow her. As you can imagine, I thought I was done for. I started thinking that by tomorrow we-" Harry was speaking directly to Artemis now, "-would be on the train home and we'd have left these two alone together-" he indicated towards Ron and Hermione, who exchanged dirty looks. "-and that simply wouldn't do. Long story short, McGonagall took me to meet with Oliver Wood, the quidditch captain and I'm the newest member of the quidditch team Artemis! I'm the new seeker!"

"You're lying!" Artemis shouted, getting to her feet. Her hazel eyes were twinkling with raw happiness. "Call him a liar again," Ron threatened playfully. Artemis punched him in the arm and threw herself at Harry, squeezing him in a tight hug. "THIS IS AMAZING HARRY, CONGRATULATIONS!"

After ten minutes of nonstop celebratory conversation between the boys and Artemis, in which Artemis had promised Harry an upcoming night of celebration for his accomplishment, Hermione reminded the three of them that transfiguration class would start soon. "I'll be going then, seeing that the three of you would rather waste your time discussing quidditch than preparing for transfiguration." Hermione's tone was matter of factly and rather sharp, annoying the friends, Ron especially. Artemis sighed and rolled her eyes, "we're coming, mom!" she called, following Hermione with Harry and Ron at her side.

During transfiguration, Artemis lost Gryffindor ten points and was mandated to stay after class when she transformed her goblet into a tarantula and set it after Ron, who had ran out of the room screaming. "It takes a determined prankster to act up in McGonagall's class, mate. I'll catch you later." Harry said as he left the class, attempting to hide the smile from his face. Professor McGonagall was a strict, thin woman who did not enjoy being disrespected in the least. She made Artemis stay after, along with a few other students, and complete ten goblet transformations correctly. Artemis scanned the room before allowing herself to concentrate, already bored with her task. She was caught by surprise when she caught sight of a blonde boy in the back of the classroom, and only then remembered Draco's grave mistake during the lesson. Draco was assigned five goblet transformations in order to compensate for rude commentary targeting McGonagall. He quickly learned not to disrespect the professor to her face.

As Artemis craned her neck, Malfoy raised his eyes to meet hers, feeling her gaze on him, and his lip curled with disgust. She giggled and winked at him, making the pale boy flush red. She turned back to be met with another pair of eyes; Professor McGonagall was glaring at her dangerously. Even Artemis knew she'd better begin working.

Artemis transfigured the first four goblets into pigeons easily but had to try a few times to complete the next six, her wand waving boredly. Had she actually put her full effort, she would have been done in a heartbeat, but being bright and talented led the witch to be carefree and lazy. When she finished, McGonagall freed her after a quick inspection, stating "Well done Lupin, I expect you to use your brain to impress me next class opposed to using it for the foolery you pulled today." Artemis beamed smugly, bidding the professor goodbye.

She packed her bag and turned to the back of the classroom, ready to head out. She noted the other children having no luck with the spell and briefly remembered the talk she had with Dumbledore concerning her abilities. _Well, if I am special then I'm damn glad_ , she thought to herself, happy to be free for the rest of the day. Artemis watched the hurried movements of Malfoy ahead of her as he scrambled for his possessions. He had finished his fifth transformation and was wildly rushing to leave. McGonagall gave brisk approval of his work, to which he said nothing, and before Artemis reached the classroom door, he had already raced out, throwing his bag over his shoulder. Artemis picked up the pace and followed him out of the door, flooded with dual annoyance and curiosity at the sight of him, secretly hoping to have another run in with him without his friends around. She was distracted from her mission only by a piece of parchment that fell out of his bag as he turned the corner out of sight.

She picked it up and recognized notes from the day's lesson, written in neat black ink. Being Artemis, she took a quill from her own bag and wrote on the back of the parchment, knowing she had every intention of returning the notes to their owner. "Still hate me? P.S. You're welcome!" The contrast between her handwriting and Malfoy's was great; while Malfoy's handwriting was elegant and thin, Artemis' wrote rather large and sloppy. She added a smiley face for spunk, after a quick debate, just to get under Malfoy's skin. Looking up from the parchment, she remembered seeing him turn the corner and she bolted down the corridor.

Determined to find the wizard, she ran in the direction she last saw him. After turning the same corner, she saw his figure up ahead, striding with his head held high. Artemis allowed herself a private eye roll before she began jogging to catch up to the bully.

"You forgot something Malfoy!" She called to him as she closed the gap between them. Draco spun around gracefully, and suspicion turned to anger on his face when he saw who was speaking to him. "Stay away from me or I'll have you written up for harassment" He spat, turning and continuing on his way without looking back. "You snuck up on me, it's only fair that I return the favor" Artemis replied smugly, having to walk twice as fast to keep up, seeing that Draco's legs were much longer than hers. "Anyways, I didn't chase you down for fun Malfoy, you dropped this." She stopped walking and handed over his parchment. When Draco heard that she had something of his, he whipped around once more. Spotting the parchment, he snatched it from her rather dramatically and gave her a look of disgust before turned to leave once more. It was the closest they'd been physically, and oddly enough, it made Artemis excited. _He'll break soon_ , she thought to herself. _After all, we almost had a normal interaction_. She giggled with mischief before running off in the opposite direction.

Draco did not realize how fast he had been walking until he reached the Slytherin common room. He had been pondering Artemis' actions and could not make sense out of what happened. He couldn't understand why she chased him down, why she was being POLITE to him. He, who'd been nothing but cruel to her and her friends. It frustrated him that he didn't understand her or her motives. He preferred mutual hatred opposed to this strange behavior. _She's playing with me_ , he thought to himself. _She wants to make fun of me, to have some sort of power over me_. The more he convinced himself of it, the angrier he got. Standing outside his common room door, he realized he had balled up the parchment still in his hand. He laid his bag down elegantly once inside and sat himself at an isolated table, where he uncrumpled his notes. He noticed writing on the back of the parchment as he attempted to straighten it. He saw the message that was written for him and froze. His former anger was erased very suddenly. He didn't know why but at that moment he thought that if Artemis and him were the only students in the castle, his life would be much easier.

Artemis had not told her friends about her interactions with Malfoy, knowing very well that she was being foolish in even having such encounters. She figured that her friends didn't need to know, and secretly feared they'd feel hurt if they knew she was being kind to their bully. _Unless he magically changes to become a decent person, I'll keep this entertaining little game to myself._ Artemis was having quite a good time observing Malfoy's reactions to her and did not plan on stopping now that she felt she got his attention. _What harm can this bring, anyway? Nothing has changed._ After all, Draco was maintaining his regular comments to Harry, Ron, Artemis and Hermione, he was no different than before. In fact, nothing significant had even occurred for Artemis to be thinking this deeply of her interactions, yet she couldn't help but let the blonde boy cross her mind. She would never admit this to anyone, especially not herself, but she secretly wanted to meet the real Draco Malfoy. She wondered if he could actually change. _There's more to him_ , she thought before forcing the subject out of her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Artemis sighed when eight P.M. hit on Saturday; she'd been enjoying her day without worries, having cast the events of the past week aside. She had finally written back to her father, writing a letter twice as long as his, explaining the many aspects of her life while specifically avoiding any mention of her interaction with Dumbledore. _That requires face-to-face interaction_ , she decided. While she would never admit it, she allowed a tear to escape while writing. She truly did love her father.

Artemis also watched Harry's quidditch practice and even snuck herself a broom from the broom shed when the players were preoccupied. She flew around the grounds, avoiding the crowded areas so as to not be spotted, until she was scolded by a rather irritated Wood upon her return. "I'd say I'm sorry mate, but I'm really not. I would probably do it again if I'm being honest" was all that she could say, adding a heart melting smile to smooth her words. It was an overall lovely Saturday spent with friends.

Hermione's muggle alarm had rang loudly at 8:00 P.M. on the dot to remind Artemis of her detention date with Professor Snape. She considered not showing up, she whined, she got angry, she tried her best to keep her friends in the common room so she could further procrastinate. This time, it wasn't just Harry, Ron, and Hermione who got involved in her detention. Clover, Dean, and Seamus all jumped in angrily when Artemis said she refused to go. "You keep losing Gryffindor points, Lupin! You're going to your bloody detention."

After getting lectured on how to behave, she regretfully watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave the common room. They decided it was best to leave Artemis alone so that she would find no reason to delay the inevitable, so they went down to visit Hagrid. Meanwhile, Artemis grudgingly began to prepare for the upcoming few hours, even though she did try her best to interact with the other Gryffindors. It was a team effort to not engage in conversation with the friendly, flirty, intoxicating Artemis Lupin. "Fine, be that way, but don't think you can talk to me all cheery tomorrow!" She snapped, heading to her dormitory.

Artemis took a quick shower and sprayed enthralling encounters, her favorite perfume, on her neck. It was advertised that it made interactions with others more pleasant. She then threw her robes on angrily, annoyed at the obligation to wear them when in class, and got her supplies ready before heading out. "G-good luck Artemis, even though you won't need it!" Neville called as he saw her exit; his voice was shaking as if he'd practiced the sentence in his head prior to her arrival. Artemis rolled her eyes and returned a less than enthusiastic "thank you." She arrived a few minutes late to the potions classroom, not having bothered to rush. _I'll take the consequences._

Snape was waiting at the front of the classroom, clearly irritated; his upper lip was slightly raised in a scowl and his voice was laced with danger when he spoke. "I suppose you expect the seven minutes you've wasted to be brushed aside, considering you look the least bit regretful of your lateness. Rest assured that you will make up every minute lost." Each word was pronounced clearly, slowly, and coldly for emphasis. Any other student would have been shaking in their robes at the sight of an angry Snape but Artemis merely walked to her favorite seat; one a few rows from the first, muttering "as expected," under her breath.

Although, even she knew better than to instigate with the professor while he was in such a mood, and she glanced up timidly to see if he had heard her. To her surprise, Artemis saw that his eyes, which were glued on her, did not match the rest of his features. They expressed emotion she could not understand. "What potion am I to do first, professor?" She asked in a sugarcoated voice, peering up at him through her lashes to look ever more innocent. Artemis was a master manipulator and often got her way. Snape, although, was not the least bit influenced by her tactics. He told her the name of the potion and instructed her on what page to turn to. "All the necessary ingredients are on my desk. I assume you aren't so incompetent as to make a mess." "I think I can handle it, sir." She replied with a smile, as she attempted to find her textbook page by hand.

Artemis noted the ingredients she needed and walked to the professor's desk to collect. She gathered as many as she could carry, filling her arms up inelegantly. Snape did not utter a word, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the messy girl. She picked up a final ingredient, managing to find space to hold it, and looked at Snape, aware that he was observing her. "Don't judge, this works for me." Lingering for a heartbeat, she waited to see if Snape would play along, but when he didn't so much as blink, she returned to her seat. _I never noticed what a deep brown his eyes are._

She worked on the first potion for two hours straight without uttering a word. Her dark eyebrows would furrow together in frustration and she would often bite her bottom lip in concentration. The potion needed constant monitoring and was highly difficult to brew. It would cleanse the drinker of any enchantments he or she were placed under. Clearly, this was a potion meant for fifth year students and above, yet Artemis was doing a particularly good job at brewing it. After she finished, she was moist with sweat, her bun had gotten messy, and she was rather tired. "I've finished the first potion professor!" she declared proudly, already forgetting the feud she'd had with the potion's master just days ago. Snape stalked over to her desk soundlessly and inspected the cauldron for a full minute before saying, "The second potion will take even longer, I suggest you work faster."

Artemis looked up at him, noticing a difference in his tone. Whilst it had been dry, it greatly differed from the one he had previously used upon her entrance. It was gentler, somehow. She was no longer met with anger and Artemis understood for perhaps the first time, that Snape was fond of her. She had constantly been told by her friends that he favored her above other students. In fact, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were rather irritated with this fact considering Snape's loathing for the three of them. Yet Artemis herself had not believed it, for she could not understand why the head of Slytherin house would favor a hot headed Gryffindor. Yet, it became apparent to her all at once. Feeling oddly warm and touched, Artemis continued looking at Snape, this time her eyes were shining with new admiration. Snape observed the transformation that occurred on her face as she watched him, and the confusion caused him to turn his back to her in order to break their eye contact.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you, professor. You know, before? I know I was disrespectful, I just can't help getting a little… protective when it comes to my friends. I'm impulsive and I say idiotic things at times and I regret what happened." She concluded in a quiet voice. Expressing her emotions was not her strong suit; she hated feeling vulnerable in any way, yet she felt the apology was necessary. She noticed how stiff Snape's form had gotten and knew he was listening to her despite not showing it. "It's clear that you're a brilliant wizard and I have a lot to learn from you." she added, hazel eyes still glued to his figure. It seemed to make it easier for both of them that Snape was facing away. Silence followed her words, and in order to break past the tension, she said "Well, I'd better start my second potion now." Snape returned to his desk without a word.

After a few minutes, Snape rose once more and paced the classroom unnecessarily. It was unusual for the professor to be deep in thought; his face had softened and his guard had been lowered significantly. In fact, he looked rather enticing. He strolled over to Artemis' desk and observed her work. "You remind me of someone whom I used to know" he muttered suddenly, watching her add ingredients to her cauldron.

Artemis looked up at him and smiled, happy to be engaged in conversation. "Is it true that you knew my mom?" She asked him, the question having been lingering in the back of her mind. Snape sighed, his face growing cold once again. This was not the conversation he sought to have. "Yes," He started in an icy tone. He knew what she longed to hear and he answered her questions before she could ask them. "At a glance you look nearly identical to her. You also have her knack for trouble, her arrogance, and her attitude. You do have different eyes though, amongst other features. And obviously a different way of... handling things." He concluded darkly.

Artemis had already started her potion and could not stop working if she wanted to execute it correctly, so she let his words flow over her. _Everyone tells me I'm like my mom but I wonder what she was really like._ She noted the change in Snape's tone and figured it was best not to ask more questions about Chleo. "Who do I remind you of professor?" She asked him curiously, referring back to his comment. She finished her third clockwise stir and paused to look up at the professor. For the first time, Snape held her eyes as he answered. "A brilliant woman I used to know." He said sadly, in a lower voice. Nobody would know from looking at him, but Snape felt overwhelmed with emotion and was fighting the urge to leave the classroom at that very moment.

"I think she was lucky to know _you_ , if I may be so bold as to say" Artemis smiled kindly, truly meaning her words. She felt the sadness that lingered in the air and found herself wishing she could help the young professor. Snape turned away from her, the slightest of flushes appearing on his cheeks at the comment. Artemis proceeded to ask Snape more questions, hoping to bring his mood up, including what his favorite potion was, what he loved to do during his free time, and even daring to ask if he were married.

"That's a personal question, Lupin." He snapped. Artemis opened her mouth to apologize, knowing it had been rather risky, but before she could, Snape spoke again. "I was married once, but there was no hope for us." She looked at him and observed the sharp curves of his oval face. Snape had olive, wrinkle-free skin and dark features. Sometimes Artemis forgot how young he was. _He's the same age as Dad so he must be 32_ , she thought.

His face was elegant, his nose was thin and prominent, his eyes large, brown, and hooded, and his eyebrows dark and neat. She had not given it any thought prior to today, but Artemis became aware that Snape was handsome; she could picture a woman falling in love with him.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said sincerely, her voice low once more. She thought she caught a knowing look in his eyes as he watched her work, a look that lingered for a few heartbeats. After lighter conversation, she stirred the potion once more counter-clockwise and shouted "Aaaand it's done!" Snape, who had returned to the professor's desk, walked over enthusiastically.

"Well well well, you have succeeded. Good job, Lupin." He allowed her a small smile. Artemis had never seen Snape smile outside of the cruel turn of his lips when Slytherins teased Gryffindors during class. She laughed out happily; she had a genuinely good time with her potion's professor despite being in detention. Artemis saw a sparkle in his eye and when she blinked, it had disappeared, replaced by the familiar guarded glare. She proceeded to clean up the ingredients, with Snape's help, concluding her long night of detention.

"Now that I finished both potions, do you want me to sit here for the seven minutes I was late?" Artemis asked in a teasing voice. She packed her bag and awaited his answer despite knowing what he would say. "No. You need your rest." Snape responded in a quiet tone, walking away from her for a final time. "Thanks, professor. Have a good night." She said sweetly before heading out.

 _What an interesting night_ , Artemis thought to herself. Looking at her watch, it read 12:37 A.M. With a groan, she made her way out of the dungeons, almost not noticing a slender blonde boy walking timidly ahead of her. Had she not been observant, he would have slipped past undetected; he took light steps and maneuvered quickly through the hallway. Artemis almost tripped in her excitement to discover Draco taking a late-night stroll; she had to internally warn herself to be quiet.

Her heart beat fast with excitement and she followed the Slytherin silently for a few minutes until he turned a corner and headed into a dark corridor. She was no longer thinking about her evening, now lost in her new adventure. _He didn't even look back once, what a terrible rule breaker_. Artemis figured he assumed nobody would be walking the school at this time and the darkness would conceal him regardless. _Think again you slick git!_

She justified her behavior by telling herself that Draco was walking towards the Gryffindor common room anyway, she was merely heading in the same direction as him. _Plus, I have an excuse for being up at this time_.

They were indeed walking in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, at least until Draco slipped into the threatening corridor without warning. Artemis could not for the life of her recall that such a corridor even existed during the day. Her rational side forced her to hesitate; the young beauty peered from the corner, careful not to step out, and watched the blond boy pull the hood of his robes over his head and disappear into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Perhaps Draco Malfoy was truly evil and partaking in dark magic within the castle walls. Artemis imagined being the one to uncover and put a stop to his plot, a smile forming on her lips at the thought. Although, if his plot were truly threatening, perhaps she should get a professor to investigate, Snape maybe? Or better yet, perhaps she should wake Harry and force him down here to investigate _with_ her. Still, a more rational thought struck young Artemis, telling her that she should mind her business and walk away. The thought urged her to act as if she had not seen a single thing, tempted her to get some well deserved sleep.

Despite the rational thoughts, Artemis decided that sleep would have to wait. The now cautious gryffindor took a single step forward into the dark corridor to see if she were in any imminent danger. Hesitating when nothing but silence met her, she craned her neck to check for any signs of movement behind her. When Artemis saw nothing, she allowed herself to relax. "You have a bloody destiny to live out, calm down. Nothing bad will happen to you." She whispered out loud. Suddenly considering Draco's fast pace, Artemis feared that she may lose him, so without giving herself a chance to back out, she too headed into the darkness with quick, silent steps.

 _If anything, I can say I got lost. It's late and I'm tired, it'd be perfectly reasonable._ The witch started planning ways to charm her way out of a nasty encounter with a professor, or worse yet, Filch, should it happen. Most of the time, she didn't even bother with excuses. Her pace had increased drastically now and she kept the grip around her wand tight, unsure of where she was heading or what she would find. The utter blackness of the hallway allowed for no visibility and the careless girl hit her foot on a slightly raised platform beneath her, causing her to yelp and fall gracelessly. "Lumos!" Artemis shrieked instinctively. Her white wand lit up the hallway to reveal sleeping portraits of old witches and wizards she did not know. Sighing with relief and getting to her feet with haste, Artemis noticed she was alone. _I guess Malfoy got away_ , she thought bitterly. She turned around and raised her wand in the direction she had been heading to look for any sign of the boy, yet saw nothing but a long stretch of disappointment of the failed mission altered her look; her lids lowered over her eyes and the tension in her shoulders all but disappeared.

She then eyed her still extended wand, distracted by its pale color; it contrasted the darkness and stood bold as its owner. A warm feeling filled her body as she recalled the day she first bought it.

Artemis Lupin had tugged on her father's hand all the way to Ollivanders wand shop, her excitement unmistakeable. An ungroomed, tired looking wizard found it difficult to keep up with his energetic daughter; a flash of annoyance coated his features as he warned Artemis to mind her steps. "Dad, I'm about to get a wand, can you believe it?" She shouted through the surrounding noise. "I honestly cannot believe it; I dread what you will manage to do with a wand." Remus Lupin responded slowly, altering his body as to weave through the crowds easier. "Artemis that's enough, slow down."

Artemis slowed grudgingly but her eyes were still peering overhead, attempting to locate the shop. Remus Lupin had a grave look on his face and his eyes were focused on something in the distance; one could guess that he was not fully present. The image of a baby boy with pale gray eyes was swirling in the back of his mind, making it difficult for him to focus on his young daughter. Meanwhile, Artemis was wondering about her future wand; she wondered how it would feel in her hand, she wondered what type of wand it would be, and especially wondered how it would look.

She didn't hear her father call to her until he repeated himself and tugged on her hand. "You're so excited you almost missed it, Artemis. Come on now, do you want a wand or not?" Remus smiled warmly down at his daughter, love shining in his eyes. He was all too aware when he was neglecting her of attention. Artemis shrieked and dashed into the store, not wanting to wait another heartbeat. Remus chuckled softly and with a small shake of his head, entered the store behind her. Artemis had walked up to the front desk, admiring the endless cabinets filled with packaged wands, her mouth hanging open with amazement. "There's thousands of wands here, how will he know which is the one for me?" She wondered aloud, voice but a whisper. She felt her father's hand on her shoulder and before she could turn to interact with him, a friendly older wizard appeared, dressed in bold robes of purple.

"Mr. Ollivander at your service, m'lady" He said cheery, beaming down at the beautiful girl. "Hello there Mr. Lupin, fancy seeing you here! I remember when you were but a lad coming in to get your own wand! Time flies, eh?" The wizard offered his hand eagerly to Remus, to which Remus reached for with equal enthusiasm. "I'll never forget the first time I stepped into this shop, Mr. Ollivander, as I'm sure my daughter won't either. Artemis, meet Mr. Ollivander, the same wizard who sold me my wand when I was your age."

Artemis grinned up at the wizard. "Can't imagine dad being eleven, do tell me, what was he like?" Remus rolled his eyes, "Come now Artemis, this is _your_ experience." Mr. Ollivander's eyes swam with mischief for a moment as he considered the girl's question. He turned around and disappeared into the back of his shop, calling out a reply. "Your father was a shy boy; he was rather tall for his age, with kind eyes, but one could tell he wasn't fond of the spotlight. I found him a perfect wand match, of course, as I will find for you." Remus sighed as his daughter giggled. She looked up at him with a troublesome smirk. "If you were so shy, how did you land those friends of yours?"

"I wonder that to this day," Remus responded in a low voice, the amusement draining from his face at the topic. Confused and with a pang of guilt, Artemis felt her heart drop. She would often ask her dad questions that seemed to upset him, yet she never dared to ask why he reacted the way he did. Her eyes darted away from his face; she felt sorry she'd ever joked about the Marauders. Just then, Mr. Ollivander returned, carrying five packages.

"Out of thousands I'll be picking from five?" Artemis blurted out, confused at the thought. "Ah, it is the wand that chooses the wizard, Ms. Lupin. These five are merely to help me sense the type of wand you will attract. I've once had a customer take three full hours to meet his match!" Artemis raised an eyebrow questioningly; she certainly hoped she would not take three hours to find a wand.

Mr. Ollivander offered her a thin, dark wand that curved slightly at the handle. She glanced up at her father and was met with a reassuring nod, so the young beauty took the wand in her right hand and awaited a reaction. Immediately, the wand began to steam, causing Artemis to yelp and drop it.

"No, definitely not. Here, I'll get that Ms. Lupin, don't you fret!" Mr. Ollivander raced to pick up the wand and place it back in its box, not willing to let Artemis touch it for a second more. "Let's see how you'll do with this." After trying all five wands and not making a match, Artemis started growing nervous. She wondered if she would ever find the correct wand for her.

Mr. Ollivander paused for a silent minute, lost in thought, before summoning Remus to the side for a private word. "Young witches and wizards often display magic style even before they're enrolled into school. What can you tell me of young Artemis here?"

Remus hesitated, pondering the correct way to phrase what he was about to say. "My daughter is… gifted. I thought she took after her quick witted mother, but now I think it's something else." He said this slowly, watching Ollivander's face for a reaction. "She's exceedingly powerful, yes?" The wandmaker asked, breathing in sharply and inching ever closer to Remus. "Yes."

Brown eyes met hazel and an understanding passed between the men. "I will be back." When he reemerged, Artemis was surprised to find him holding a single box. "Perhaps this will suit you…" He trailed off, exchanging a quick look with Remus before offering the wand to an anxious Artemis. She was too excited to pay attention to the strange behavior her father and the wandmaker were exhibiting.

Artemis picked up the wand and stared at it; mesmerized. It was stark white, so much so that it glowed. The only other color it possessed was a black spiral that wrapped around it halfway. She lifted the wand and gasped; she felt a pleasant warmth stemming from it, heating her body and her bones. Her arms were coated with goosebumps and before she could react, visible orbs emerged from the wand tip and circled her. Artemis felt the oddest of feelings; she felt, for a heartbeat, the power she had the potential to possess. "Wow." she gasped when the orbs disappeared.

Mr. Ollivander's face looked worried; he seemed to be on the brink of fear, but when Artemis met his eyes, he forced a smile. "It is all too clear that you have been chosen, Ms. Lupin." His voice shook slightly but Artemis giggled with happiness, paying no mind to his behavior. "I love it, it's beautiful!" She shrieked. Turning around, she squeezed her father at the waist, grinning ear to ear. Remus, who had been watching Artemis intensely, had his eyes glued on Ollivander's. He was clenching his jaw and there was a sense of urgency in his expression.

"What type of wand is it?" Remus asked in a serious tone. "Yew wood, dragon heartstring core, thirteen inches, solid." Ollivander replied, not meeting his eyes. "Artemis, I need to have a word with Mr. Ollivander, do you mind taking a seat in the waiting area?" Remus asked his daughter, bending over slightly as to be closer to her. "Gotcha Dad, but don't take too long okay?" She called as she raced towards the chairs near the store's entrance.

Remus waited for his daughter to disappear before stepping to the counter sharply. "What does this mean?" He demanded, voice raised and angry. Mr. Ollivander considered his words before he said them. "Remus, firstly you must know that yew wands are exceedingly rare. In fact, I only possessed a single yew wand in my store, the very wand that chose young Artemis today. Yew wands always choose wizards and witches who are extremely powerful; they are the wizards who can perform the greatest curses." The wandmaker paused for a heartbeat before continuing in a whisper. "I don't know if you know this, but yew wands choose notorious wizards. If you look back, there isn't a single dark wizard who failed to possess a yew wand."

Remus' heart dropped to his stomach and he turned his head to glance at his daughter, who was busy waving her wand about, creating rays of light. "Voldemort?" He asked quietly, still looking at Artemis. "I'm afraid so." Mr. Ollivander responded sadly.

Remus glanced at him before running a nervous hand through his sandy hair. He was at a loss for words. "Don't think on it too deeply, Remus." "I need to know about something else." Remus said sharply, nearly cutting him off. "I've contacted you in the past, told you to keep your eyes open in case you saw my son. I'd guess he'd look like Artemis now, only with his mother's gray eyes. Has he… shown up?" The wizard broke eye contact and peered down at his shoes. He feared the answer he was about to hear. "I've paid close attention to all the students I've sold to, Mr. Lupin. I haven't seen anyone who resembles your beautiful daughter. I'm very sorry." Mr. Ollivander looked pained at having to reveal this.

Remus didn't react right away; he continued observing his worn, tattered shoes. Without warning, he took out several gold coins from his pocket and placed them on the counter. "Thank you for the wand, Mr. Ollivander." He said, forcing a smile despite blurry eyes. Mr. Ollivander opened his mouth to respond, concern lining his face, but Remus had already turned to leave.

Artemis blinked away the memories and was brought back to the present, having nearly forgotten that she was still in a potentially bad situation. Deciding it was best to keep her wand illuminated, she began heading back the way she emerged, taking slow, carefree steps. Her eyes scanned the raised platform that she had tripped over as she cautiously passed it once more. She was grateful that others hadn't witnessed her misstep. _I'd drop out of Hogwarts if Malfoy had seen that._

A heartbeat after successfully crossing, Artemis froze in her tracks; _did I just see a keyhole?_ Whipping about immediately, she dropped to her knees in front of the metal platform, noticing that there indeed was a keyhole right in the center of it. "Bloody hell, this is a trap door." She said out loud, noting the handle on the side. Artemis ran her hand over it and felt the texture of the metal, her mind racing with ideas as to what lay beneath it. With a gasp, Malfoy's image flashed in her mind. "The slick git really unlocked a Hogwarts secret…" She said to herself, mesmerized. "If he really is down there, he must have unlocked it, climbed down, and what? Locked it again?" Artemis was speaking to herself, her mind racing. She would find a way to open that door if it were the last thing she did.

 _Maybe I'm being stupid. I mean, it's a little far fetched that the blonde coward would sneak about the castle at night just to hang out in a dungeon by himself. Unless there's more down there…_ Frustrated, Artemis desperately wanted to find out. It was all too obvious that she lived for challenges. She would attempt everything in her power to open that trap door, starting by simply tugging at it. _If this works, I'll eat my hat._

Smiling at herself for even considering it would be unlocked, Artemis wrapped her fingers around the handle and pulled with all of her might. Without warning, the door flew open on its side easily, nearly throwing Artemis off balance, giving way to eroded stairs that led into darkness.

Gasping in disbelief, Artemis stared at the entrance, completely shocked that simply pulling the handle had opened the door. _Someone is down there, there's no chance Dumbledore would leave a trapdoor unlocked. Someone unlocked it and is down there right now, there's no other explanation._ Artemis looked at the interior of the door, searching for another keyhole. She found none, determining that the door could only be locked from the outside.

The petite girl closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Okay Lupin, woman up and go down there." She stayed with her eyes closed for another heartbeat before clenching her jaw and beginning her descend down the stairs.

Artemis' hazel eyes were wide and the blue light stemming from her wand lit up her face beautifully, exposing the dual excitement and fear she was feeling. She took cautious steps, attempting to be as silent as possible as to not make Malfoy, or whoever else was down there, aware of her presence. Once she got to the bottom, she pointed her wand at the walls and noticed that they seemed to be in even worse condition than the stairs.

She saw nothing odd or impressive about the dungeon, yet the hairs on her neck were standing on end. _There's something weird about this place_ , she couldn't help thinking. Before she could take another step forward, there was a flash of yellow light and she was on the floor.


	8. Chapter 8

Artemis did not allowed herself to scream, even out of shock, but she did lift her wand threateningly once on the ground. She had been impaired with a jinx and knew better than to try and regain mobility; she needed to defend herself before anything else. "Show yourself, don't be a coward!" She shouted, anger ringing in her voice. Humiliation tinted her cheeks a faint shade of red.

It was then when a visibly furious Draco came into sight, emerging from the shadows. His graceful body and movements contradicted the anger apparent on his face; his brown eyebrows were furrowed and his wand was pointing directly at Artemis. He walked over threateningly, like a predator stalking prey, and loomed over her without any indication of lowering his wand. She noticed his hands shaking and knew better than to think it was out of fear. _I've never seen Malfoy this pissed._ "How dare you follow me? How dare you?!" He seethed, lip curling with rage.

Typically, Artemis would feel at ease in his presence, knowing she had the advantage of manipulation and charm. Still, she felt a stab of worry at the sight of a furious Malfoy. _Perhaps this really isn't a game to him, he might actually attack me._ Deciding it would be best to resort to her typical banter, Artemis did just that, refusing to let Malfoy intimidate her.

"A tripping jinx, huh? Not too creative but I guess I appreciate not being slammed into a wall, so there's that." She spoke with confidence, glancing at him before looking away. She decided it was best to not escalate the situation, especially seeing that she was not in a favorable position, so she lowered her wand and softened her expression.

She turned her attention to her own body and began rubbing her elbow, wincing as she did so. Clearly, she was doing her best to dismiss Malfoy's anger. Draco evidently was in no mood for a witty retort and was unwilling to let the arrogant Gryffindor assume her normal position of dominance.

"What the hell are you doing here? Why are you following me? You can't stay away from me for a full day is that it?" He continued yelling, his voice growing louder, distorting his features even further. It was out of character for Malfoy to lose his temper in this manner; he was forbidden from raising his voice at home and especially forbidden from raising his voice to a witch. Surely his mother would disapprove of his emotional outburst.

Artemis did not answer right away, carefully considering her options. She glanced up at him once more, bit her bottom lip in thought, and finally attempted to get back on her feet. She predicted that the jinx had run its course by now, and to her satisfaction, she had full mobility once more.

Artemis chose to dance around the accusations; anything to avoid defeat. "First off, you don't know that I followed you. I have as much access to this dungeon as you. Secondly, what's your problem with me anyway? We're alone now, do tell me. Why are you so hostile?" She attempted to change the topic, not wanting to admit she had followed Malfoy down a trapdoor. For emphasis, she folded her arms across her chest in a challenging manner, acting as if she was in the right. Gryffindor pride.

For a second, Draco felt trapped; he couldn't bring himself to attack the girl that had been passing through his thoughts so frequently, yet he couldn't stand to allow someone to barge into his life and demand access to him. _Nobody will humiliate me, especially not a Gryffindor blood traitor._ _Look at her, standing there bold as brass, acting as if she has every right in the world._ "You did follow me and you know it!" He snapped, refusing to partake in her change of topic. Despite his determination, his anger had run its course and he lowered his wand.

After a moment of silence, Draco began a new train of thought before Artemis could speak. His voice had calmed and grew cold. "Stay away from me. You must really hate when people hate you, look at you. Out of your mind obsessed with me." He met her eyes and snorted, feeling the power shift that was occurring as he spoke. He felt the truth of his words as soon as he said them.

"You think everyone you encounter will fall to their feet in front of you, but you're really not that charming. You're really not that wonderful, and you're definitely not the center of the damn universe. You followed me for your own sake, this doesn't have anything to do with me. You're pathetic." Silence followed his confrontation; it seemed that he had defeated the dragon. Smiling coldly, Draco felt the impact he was having on Artemis; he didn't even need to look at her to know that he had won. Although his eyes scanned her beautiful face regardless, observing shock and offense alter her expression.

"Do not follow me again. Do not try to talk to me or interact with me in any way. Now, leave me alone before I start taking matters into my own hands." Draco threatened, waving his wand dramatically.

Artemis was at a loss for words and she stood there quite awkwardly, looking at Draco with pain in her eyes. She'd never been topped or silenced before. Furthermore, the truth stung. Finally, she blushed once again, a rather rare sighting, and glanced at the floor to avoid Draco's eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't know how to handle being disliked, and maybe I've been obsessing over you a wee bit. You've been quite the fun challenge." She paused and focused on her shoe for a heartbeat. "I guess I should treat you like a real person rather than something to be won over." Artemis felt her heart beating as she spilled the truth. Being vulnerable was something new for her. She quickly looked up at Draco and half jokingly added, "Clearly I have ego problems."

Draco sneered and replied, "to say the least, Lupin." A moment of silence followed, which seemed endless to Artemis. She couldn't believe Malfoy's change in attitude. He wasn't gloating or trying to hurt her, or even using her words against her. How rare. She couldn't help but smile; _he forgave me_. She noticed his face had softened and his shoulders had relaxed, making her feel calmer. Artemis then eyed his wand, which was unintentionally illuminating his expensive shoes.

"Did you pick out those shoes?" She questioned, bending over slightly for a better glance. She was utterly distracted, having already moved on. Draco was taken by surprise, but answered nonetheless, "Yes. Father doesn't dictate every aspect of my life."

"I like them," Artemis smiled at him, causing his confusion to grow. "I need to go now," Draco began with an uncertain voice, making way to leave the way he emerged from. Before he could move, Artemis raised her wand ahead of her and walked in the same direction, taking the lead. "Let's go then." She called, turning back to meet his gaze, eyes sparkling. Draco sighed as he watched a gryffindor explore the secret passage he thought was only his. He knew he wouldn't be able to persuade Artemis to leave, so left with no choice, he followed behind her.

"You ruined this for me" Draco said coldly, with a faint sadness in his voice. Artemis picked up on this immediately and allowed him to take the lead before saying, "Can't this be our thing? Or our place? You know, meaning shared." She asked with enthusiasm, adding in a quick "Or I'll pretend I never saw it, if that's what you want" when she saw the anger in his eyes. _Maybe I'm granting him too much respect now._

"The second option Lupin. You did not see this." Draco snapped. He lead the way down the dark hallway until they reached a circular metal door. Before Artemis could so much as sigh with disappointment, Draco entered a combination of numbers and letters on the nearby password slate. A loud click followed, indicating that the door could now be opened. It never droned on Artemis how intelligent Draco was; she glanced at him curiously, with newfound respect. If she was amazed before the door opened, it was nothing to the amazement she felt when she stepped through the doorway.

"Wow" Artemis gasped, eyes wide, while Draco chuckled lightly next to her. The doorway transformed into a huge circular pipe that extended out of the castle, to the grounds. Artemis and Draco walked up to the edge, facing the world. _He really found a secret passage out of Hogwarts_ , Artemis thought in amazement. The pipe was around ten feet off the ground, which wouldn't prevent Artemis from exiting it in the saw Hagrid's hut in the distance, next to the forbidden forest, along with other parts of the castle. Artemis peeked beyond the pipe to see the star-filled sky, amazement lining her face. She remembered faintly seeing this pipe when she was on the grounds during the day. It was always blocked off by the door and nobody assumed it to be anything but a useless pipe.

"You really found an exit, this is a gem Malfoy!" Artemis exclaimed in excitement. She sat on the edge and let her legs dangle. "Yes and it was mine until you forced yourself in." Draco muttered darkly. He continued standing, looking out into the distance. Artemis patted the spot next to her, indicating that he should sit. He raised his lip in disgust before eventually sitting next to her. Seeing that the pipe was circular, it wasn't the most comfortable place to walk through or sit, but Artemis didn't care.

It was fall now and the weather was rather cold, causing Artemis' teeth to chatter. "I suppose you want my cloak then?" Draco sneered, glancing at her in light amusement. Artemis gave him a dirty look. "Why would I want it? We need to feel the temperatures of our world to know we're alive." She said simply, as if that were common knowledge. "Right, I'll make sure everyone knows your last words when they find you under a pile of snow." Draco retorted.

Artemis didn't respond, but turned her head to look at him. She noted his profile and observed the beauty marks that were sprinkled lightly around his face. Draco felt her eyes on him and turned to look at her, excepting her to look away. She didn't, and his sight moved back to the dark trees; holding eye contact proved to be too much for him.

"Am I so beautiful that you can't help but stare?" Draco snapped after a few heartbeats, growing uncomfortable. He heard Artemis giggle next to him, and she responded with, "Indeed you are." Draco felt his cheeks flush and wished he were in his common room, away from such an embarrassing moment.

"Are you going away for the holiday break?" Artemis inquired, ignoring Draco's embarrassment. "It's coming up soon you know." "Yes. Father made it clear that I'll always come home during breaks." He paused, before letting his pride down enough to ask about her. "And you?"

"Dad said it's my choice, yet this year he's making me go. Kinda contradictory, don't you think?" She replied. "I do miss him though, I think I'd go regardless. Not to mention he's alone in the house." She concluded in a slightly sadder tone, leaving a conflicted Malfoy unsure of what to say. Luckily for him, this was Artemis he was next to, a girl who didn't dwell on her sorrow or ask for sympathy.

"You know, I'll admit it's pretty brilliant that you found this passage. I underestimated you." She winked at him. "Do my ears deceive me? Did I actually make Draco Malfoy laugh?" Artemis teased. "Shut up before I set Crabbe on you again Lupin." Draco retorted.

Artemis laughed, stretched her legs out before her, and got to her feet. "I think I'll turn in, I just came from a grueling detention session, not to mention that it's 1:18 A.M. now." She said after glancing at her watch. Draco got to his feet as well, "I suppose I should too."

They walked back inside, passed through the circular door that Draco proceeded to close and headed down the hallway together. "You're not quite as horrible as you try to be" Artemis remarked seriously. "You don't know how horrible I am or am not," was all that Draco said.

They walked through the dark hallway and climbed up the stairs. At the top, Artemis pushed open the trapdoor and stepped out, holding it open for Draco. When they were both out, Draco started looking around frantically for something. Artemis suddenly remembered that she pocketed the lock, and she took it out and presented it to him. "You forgot this, you careless person, you." Artemis scolded jokingly.

"Oh please, give me that." Draco said, snatching it from her. He quickly placed it on the door and popped it shut. He got up, looking rather pleased with himself. Artemis pulled on his arm before he could walk away, almost throwing him off balance. "Take your hands off me Lupin, you'll tear my robes!" Draco snapped. Artemis remained unphased; she was looking at him, waiting to ask her question. "One last thing before you go to bed," she started with a small smile. "How did you manage to open that? Those enchantments surely can't be broken by students?" Artemis eyed the lock once more, wondering if she had the power to open it.

"Don't waste your time trying, it'll only upset your ego. I have my ways" Draco said with a smile. He watched her face for a moment before reaching into his robes and pulling out a small golden key. Artemis was about to ask what the key was but Draco answered her question before she asked it. "This key has been in my family for a long time. It has the ability to open almost any door and any lock, despite the enchantments." Draco declared with a proud puff of his chest.

Artemis laughed, "Well, well. I see your family was good for something" she joked. Catching sight of his face, she rolled her eyes and assured him she was joking. Draco only scowled in return.

"Well Mr. Malfoy, I'd say we made great progress tonight. I'll be coming here often, I can assure you that; you won't miss me for too long." Artemis flashed him a grin and they looked at each other for a heartbeat before Draco cleared his throat. "I never agreed to you coming back here but I know you won't let up. Don't make me regret showing you this, Lupin. Promise you won't tell anyone. Promise me." His voice had turned serious and his gray eyes pierced hers.

Artemis couldn't believe she was making a promise to Draco Malfoy, but without thinking about it any deeper, she promised him. "I promise you that nobody shall know," she assured. Looking visibly less tense, Draco almost smiled. "I promise too," He added hurriedly, embarrassed to be making promises to a Gryffindor. He suddenly realized that he didn't need to promise her anything, seeing as this was his secret. He cursed himself internally.

"Great. Well, goodnight Draco" Artemis said quietly, a softness in her voice that wasn't there before. Draco felt a shiver running down his back as he heard her say his name. He couldn't explain the reason for it, or why his heart skipped a beat, but he knew he wanted to hear her say it again. He observed her doe eyes, laced with long lashes, and felt the urge to run away. He couldn't handle the emotions her hazel eyes brought forth.

"Goodnight" he said quietly, before turning away gracefully. He had learned many things from his parents, one of the most valuable being manners. Draco shuddered at the thought of his father knowing about Artemis. As he walked back to the Slytherin common room, he didn't notice a shadow lurking in the distance.


	9. Chapter 9

Just feet away, hidden in the shadows, Snape had observed the first years as they bid goodnight with a sinking feeling in his chest. His face expressed the deepest sadness and his dark eyes swam with memories. He watched Artemis leave before turning away, choosing to let the rule breaking students off the hook this one time, knowing he was in no state of mind to scold or punish. His heartbeat demanded attention as it beat strongly against his ribs; forcing him to remain in the present. Straying thoughts were his downfall. _I know better_ , Snape thought to himself, his face hardening.

Draco maneuvered his way through the school, walking at a brisk pace and scanning his surroundings frequently. It was clear he was uncomfortable and nervous; his face seemed paler than usual and his thoughts were racing. When he finally entered the Slytherin common room, he sighed with relief and allowed his tense muscles to relax. He spotted Pansy Parkinson reading a magazine on the nearby couch; she had her legs crossed tightly and her lips pursed, overall looking rather rigid. She looked up from the page with her brown eyes and narrowed her thin eyebrows in suspicion.

"Draco, where were you?" She asked. Her voice had a formality to it similar to Narcissa's, Draco's own mother. "Exploring, Pansy." Draco said curtly, adapting his usual demeanor. "You wouldn't want to get caught, now. You'd get in trouble, it's best you stay here from now on. All of us missed you." Pansy said, rising from her spot. She favored Draco and it was obvious, despite her lack of outward emotion. Her stance indicated that she expected something more than she was receiving.

"Who's all of us?" Draco asked, uninterested in the least, pausing by the men's staircase. "Penelope, Rose, Elizabeth, Crabbe, Goyle, and myself." Pansy replied in her slow, measured voice. "You're surely not going to bed now? I was waiting for you," she began again, allowing her displeasure to show as she noted his intention to leave.

"Nobody asked you to wait" Draco responded sharply, wanting nothing more than to go to bed. Seeing her offense, he was reminded of his manners and added, "I apologize for not being here, I'll make it up to you and the others another night. Sleep well." With a curt nod of his head, he climbed up the stairs, leaving a disappointed Pansy magazine in hand.

Once in bed, Draco couldn't stop replaying his interactions with Artemis. He felt anxiety build within him as he wondered how the situation would progress. He was caught between wanting nothing more to do with the witch and wanting everything more to do with her. _She's already causing problems in my life_ , Draco thought bitterly. Turning on his side, he closed his eyes and surrendered for the night.

In another bed, in another common room, Artemis had fallen asleep immediately. Her friends had not been awake to question her; something she was thankful for, and she felt nothing but happiness. She was breathing softly and the smallest of smiles lingered on her lips.

Severus Snape navigated his way through the castle to reach his personal sleeping quarters. The teachers had their own rooms, accessible only by the staff, in which they slept and spent their free time. Being that these rooms were invisible to students, pranks and harassment were out of the question. Students were rarely given access to rooms, only when student-teacher bonds were strong and personal. As Snape approached his own room, he noticed an impressive wizard facing his door, back to him.

The man had ivory robes that trailed behind him, a wicked pointy hat, and long shimmering white hair that reached halfway down his back. Severus sighed and let his head hang for a fraction of a second.

"Evening, Albus." He muttered bitterly, his voice filled with bile. He predicted the way the conversation would play out. "I suppose you want to join me for a cup of tea?" Severus mocked, humor stripped from his voice.

Albus Dumbledore turned around, his pale eyes dancing with happiness at the sight of the professor. The great wizard had an extraordinary beard that was neatly tied, and his half moon glasses were resting on his crooked nose.

"I apologize for my daring behavior Severus, but I do hope to steal a minute from you. I see it is late, often deemed the time for serious conversation." Dumbledore said calmly, smiling at Severus with tenderness.

Severus only clenched his jaw in response, before waving his arm stiffly to indicate that Dumbledore go first. Dumbledore waved his hand gracefully over the keyhole before proceeding to open the unlocked door.

Upon entering, he settled for a comfortable looking arm chair, which he began to admire as Severus followed suit through the door. Sitting across from each other, it was Severus who spoke first. "Do state your business, it's best we get this out of the way now." He began dryly.

Dumbledore did not waste time, jumping into the matter immediately. "The girl Severus, it is dangerous to meddle in her affairs." Dumbledore started, pausing only to remove a stray hair from his cloak. "It's best you treat her as you would treat any other student. It is imperative that you do not change the course of history, I employ you to see reason." Dumbledore's voice had become but a whisper, and his eyes were fixed on Severus'. "I cannot tell you how to act, I can only offer advice, of course. I only hope you will consider it."

Snape stood up with rage. "You already ask too much of me, do not dare to forget. I've been paying my debt to you, but do not act as if I am doing any of this for you. I do not care for history, I do not care for anything outside of her safety and happiness. You ask too much of me Albus. How am I to treat her like any student? Do you know who she is to me?"

His fury died towards the end of the rant, replaced by a desperate sadness. He sat back down across from Dumbledore and placed his face in his hands in defeat. "I do know." Dumbledore replied gently after a few heartbeats, a sadness lacing his words. Silence filled the dark room, eating away at Severus. He longed to fall into a deep slumber, only to be awoken by his wife, whom he hadn't seen in nearly fifteen years.

"Then what can I do?" Snape asked through silent tears. "This is too much for me to bear." "You must remain in the school and continue with your position as potions master, for one Severus. There are multiple reasons as to why, all of which I am sure you can name. Although since I only promised to steal a minute from you, I will leave you with an idea. To fulfill your vows, you should consider being what she needs you to be. Whether it be a professor, a father, a friend. She will need you in her life."

Dumbledore's message swept through Severus and he decided he would do just that. Sadly, he looked up at the older man and nodded in agreement. "I will fulfill my vows." He stated after a brief deliberation, his voice hard once more.

"You are doing the right thing." Dumbledore nodded. "I am sorry for your circumstances, truly, I am. I have experienced love as you have, and not a day slips by without me longing for it." He smiled at Severus knowingly. "You will have your time." Dumbledore added in a whisper, leaning closer to Severus as he said it.

"Have a good night, professor." Was the last that Severus heard before Albus Dumbledore apparated from his room. The professor stood once more, overcome with a powerful need. He quickly reached his bedroom and pulled out a large chest from underneath the bed. Inside it were hundreds of tiny vials, each filled with a wispy substance colored milky white. Severus picked one up gently, his hands shaking as he did so. The bottle was numbered at the bottom, and it just so happened this was the 300th vial.

Gripping the small vial in his hand, Severus shut the chest and stored it under his bed once more before sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at the vial.

 _What's in this one my love?_ He asked his wife internally, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. The fear inside his stomach had subsided, giving way to excitement. Should he drink it now? Should he preserve it? He was already more than halfway done with the vials, yet it had been a while since he used one.

Before he could over think his decision, Severus uncapped the vial and raised it to his lips quickly. He then proceeded to lay on his bed without changing robes, eager to dream. The second his head hit the pillow, the professor fell asleep.

"Come on Severus, here take my hand, it's only a little further I promise!" A beautiful woman was laughing and extending a hand out to offer her help. Severus had broken into a sweat as he attempted to keep up with her.

"Of all the methods of travel available to us, you choose to walk." He managed to say through breaths. "Baby, natural exercise gives you a sense of achievement, you'll see." The woman giggled. Severus felt his heart thump in his chest, having nothing to do with the uphill hike.

He pulled on her hand hard, causing her to stumble. He took the opportunity to circle his arms around her waist and pick her up. The woman squealed and struggled to get away, but Severus held on. He walked with her in his arms for a few more steps before plopping down in the tall grass and placing her on his lap.

In the morning, Artemis was rudely woken up by a worried Hermione. "Where were you!" She demanded, glaring at Artemis. Artemis mumbled something incomprehensible before turning in bed, her back facing hermione. "Oh no you don't!" Hermione exclaimed. The clever witch raised her wand and whispered a spell under her breath, the effects of which everyone heard.

Artemis started crying with laughter as the spell tickled every inch of her. "Please" she managed through the tortured laughs. Hermione watched her with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. "Please what?" She asked innocently. "Please Hermione!" Artemis pleaded, and after a giggle, Hermione flicked her wand to stop the spell.

"Now where were you!" Hermione demanded again. "Okay, okay! I'm up! I'll tell you, please no more tickling!" Artemis pleaded, sitting up frightfully. She looked at hermione for a heartbeat before telling her that Snape kept her late. Hermione glared at her suspiciously, making her feel guilty.

"Hey don't be mad at me, I didn't ask to be kept in the dungeons until bloody one A.M." Artemis shrugged, getting out of bed. "Well it IS your fault for getting detention on a Saturday to begin with," Hermione scolded.

"Drop it Hermione, please. I'm tired as it is" Artemis said through her yawn. "Let's get the boys."

After waking up Harry and Ron, the four friends got ready for breakfast and made their way down. Artemis came down wearing her pink nightgown, which fell to her heels, a long woven sweater that surpassed her arse, and fuzzy pink slippers. Ron had looked at her in shock when she announced she was ready. After brushing her teeth and splashing water on her face, Artemis tied her hair in a messy bun and deemed herself set.

"Are you really going to wear that?" Hermione questioned, she herself being fully dressed in clean robes. "What, it's Sunday. Any day I can go without school robes, I'll go without. Now let's go, and not one comment about my slippers Ron!" Artemis warned. She led the way through the portrait hole, seeing a restless Neville on the other side. The poor boy turned beet red when Artemis asked him what was wrong.

"I just forgot the password is all. I'm glad you came out when you did Missy, I have to use the bathroom!" Neville admitted quickly before running inside. The friends laughed, and it was Harry who said, "yeah good thing MISSY came out, after all only Missy is here."

"Oh shut up Harry." Artemis laughed. "I don't know what he sees in you honestly, I mean look at those slippers!" Ron added. Downstairs, most students were already eating. Although students weren't required to attend any of the meals, they had the option to, an option in which most took.

Heading to the gryffindor table, Artemis scanned her surroundings. She saw the Weasley twins beckoning them forward and she grinned at them; Artemis, Fred, and George got along great. She rushed over to the table and sat across from George. "News of the day?" She asked eagerly, crossing her fingers on the table. As Fred and George told her about a possible secret room they'd discovered, Harry spoke to members of the quidditch team.

The gryffindor table was positioned so that Slytherin was on their left, Ravenclaw on their right, and Hufflepuff next to Ravenclaw. Artemis had sat facing Slytherin, and her attention slipped from the conversation as she scanned the crowd with her eyes, in search for one particular face. She found him easily, sitting tall in his chair, eating elegantly and lazily following the conversation he was engaged in.

He screamed of arrogance and wealth and without being able to help herself, Artemis rolled her eyes. She observed as Pansy watched Draco with large eyes and commented on his replies with a great deal of effort. Artemis thought it'd be funny to tease him on this later, and realized that her and Draco weren't friends, couldn't be friends.

How easy it'd be if she could greet him, speak to him, or even smile at him. At that thought, Draco's eyes wandered and met her own. He lost his concentration, staring at her without moving. Artemis winked at him, knowing it'd cause controversy for him. He blinked and broke eye contact, his face flushing.

"Artemis, have you heard a word of what I've been telling you?" Artemis snapped back to her own reality and turned to Harry. "The truth? No. Sorry Harry, what were you saying?" "I have a quidditch match tomorrow. It'll be the first one of the year, obviously I'd expect you all to come. Since I'll be busy today and tomorrow, we should focus on our... mystery when we have free time." He ended in a whisper. Artemis' attention peaked. "Okay, the sooner the better." She agreed in a low voice.

"We need to catch you up on what we've been talking about later" he added, to which she nodded. "I actually need to talk to you too," Artemis added without looking at her friends, knowing it was about time she revealed what happened at Dumbledore's office.


End file.
